External walls typically account for around 30% of a building’s initial cost and a significant portion of its energy losses. The right selection of an external cladding system will lower energy losses and will have major impacts on the capital investment, running, and maintenance costs. A good selection of cladding panel can make a big difference to a timber house's comfort level and energy costs.

Optimum timber wall cladding systems are those that are both durable and provide a high level of thermal insulation. Systems with an unbroken insulated envelope will usually out-perform other systems with gaps or breaks in the insulation for framing or fixings. Interior wall cladding choices should be considered with insulating purposes in mind.

Architectural Cladding Systems and Environmental Impact

Timber for cladding systems is a renewable building material because trees from forests with sustainable management practices can be planted, cut and replanted to meet the demand for building materials again and again without adversely affecting soil quality or site stability.

Further information on the environmental benefits of timber (including timber cladding systems) can be found on our timber information pages.

Ideally, timber building materials, timber wall claddings and timber flooring should be designed to eliminate the need for preservatives. When selecting a timber type, always consider the durability requirements. The use of durable timbers will minimise the need for timber treatments and surface treatments.

Naturally durable cladding systems are generally preferable to cladding systems that require regular application of paints and finishes. The application of paints and stains to timber cladding systems can increase the environmental impact of the cladding significantly over its life. There are a wide variety of choices that can be made in paints and stains for exterior timber cladding that minimise environmental impact. See our exterior paint pages for more information.

Types of timber wall cladding include manufactured timber sheet cladding, plywood cladding, and solid timber cladding.

Some timber wall cladding is manufactured in New Zealand for our use and for export. Other timber wall cladding is imported. Sources of solid timber cladding include JSC Timber, Beechmark and PSP. Plywood wall cladding systems can be sourced from Carter Holt Harvey, Cedar Products and Plytech International. Amroc and Weathertex supply manufactured timber sheet cladding. See our Timber Wall Cladding pages for more information.

Timber for wall claddings, cladding panels, and cladding systems should always be purchased from certified renewable sources. Certification schemes have been set up around the world to ensure forestry operations are carried out in a sustainable manner. Some of these have questionable credibility, but others are backed and endorsed by major environmental organisations. The most common in New Zealand are the FSC and PEFC certification systems. MAF have developed Sustainable Forest Management Plans and Permits to ensure the sustainability of native New Zealand forestry.

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JSC manufactures Western Red Cedar Weatherboard exterior cladding from sustainably sourced timber responsibly harvested in the publicly managed forests of British Columbia, Canada. JSC Timber's procurement policy ensures the import of sustainable Western Red Cedar through the PEFC scheme for their external wall cladding and other products.

For more information on JSC Timber's cladding panels and other exterior cladding products, see their Western Red Cedar Weatherboard product page.