External timber cladding has definately made a come back (board and batten was a very affordable option in a bygone era) and we are often asked if we stock timber boards with a shiplap edge, or just boards for board and batten cladding. The short answer is…. not exactly…. but, we have another option.
A few of our customers have very successfully used tas oak flooring (or any other hardwood option we may have in stock… jarrah, queensland bloodwood, spotted gum) run vertically, as a great alternative. Running vertically, the water does not sit in the joins, so the timber is preserved nicely (this is the reason that ‘board and batten timber’ is applied vertically). Occasionally the tongues have been removed to create a pure ‘board’ laid over a shadow backing material, or just loosely ‘tongue and grooved’ with a small 3 – 4mm gap.
These pics are from a friend of ours who used 133mm, quarter-sawn Tas oak flooring to make a shingle wall… a whole 5 years ago. Quite honestly, they look as good as the day he laid them, the iron nail holes are more pronounced which has created a gorgeous pattern!
So… I guess the answer is…. we do supply external timber cladding, if you’re willing to look at the intentional timber application differently!