The orientation you choose affects the look, feel and performance of the timber cladding.

For example, horizontal cladding is often used to “squash” a structure, which encourages it to blend in with its natural surroundings. On the other hand, a combination of horizontal and vertical cladding could be used to create a striking design feature that makes your project stand out.

There’s no right or wrong answer to this question. While cladding orientation can affect product performance in small ways, high-quality cladding will offer excellent performance in either application.

Opting for vertical timber cladding also provides several other benefits, including:

– Easy to pair with other cladding materials, such as bricks, concrete, render and natural stone
– Improved rain management for areas that experience heavy rainfall
– Provides a sense of height, which looks fantastic on shorter buildings
– Vertical cladding can be transferred to the soffits for a seamless look

Be sure that you are using cladding profiles intended for vertical installation. While vertical cladding is better for rain management, boards still need to be installed properly to prevent moisture ingress.

Profiles with a narrow width are often installed vertically, rather than horizontally. The vertical orientation improves rain management and it creates an intricate design with delicate shadow lines.

On the other hand, wider cladding boards create a less intricate finish, which is ideal if you are cladding a large surface area. The fine details of narrow cladding profiles are often lost on large areas, reducing the impact of your chosen finish.

A blend of the two design styles is often done for architectural purposes. Varying your choice of cladding creates design interest and separation between the different elements of a structure.

For best results, vertical and horizontal cladding can be separated with other materials (such as bricks or render) to prevent visual clashes.