Installation Guide – Cladding-Preparation of Surfaces

Specifications for battens

  • Use timber battens - minimum 27 x 40
  • Use good quality, preservative treated timber
  • Fix battens to sound substrate at 600 mm centres or closer
  • Where a CCA (chrome/copper/arsenic) preservative is used, allow approximately 7 days before fitting cladding

Fixing direction

Specification for fixings

Material
Stainless Steel

Type
Annular ring-shaft nails (clad pins)
(use plastic head Polytops where visible)

Diameter
2mm

Length
Planks minimum 30mm (ref 1096)
Trims minimum 20mm (ref n/a)

Cladding fixing

Summary
Colour White
Product Cladding
Thickness 6 mm
Fixing Polytop stainless
Nail-30 mm long, notched (1096)
Number fixings per location 2

Max. fixing Centres (mm)

 600mm (400mm exposed locations)
Support Plank or Battern
Support Gap 600mm (400mm exposed locations)
Min. expansion gap between profiles (mm) 10


Expansions

  • Always allow a 10mm expansion gap between planks.
  • Fix from centre and work out.

Thermal Movement

Allow a minimum 5mm clearance at the end of each 5 metre length of profile, in order to accommodate expansion. (Foiled 8mm expansion)

Windloadings

Maximum windloading based on 600mm batten spacings

  • 100mm cladding... 2000Pa
  • 150mm cladding... 1350Pa

For increased windloadings reduce batten spacings and fixing centres and check with qualified engineer. As a guide, 400mm batten spacings should be considered for applications over 2 storeys.

Fixing to Non Weatherproof Substrates

  • For applications involving non weatherproof substrates (e.g. timber stud wall) a vapour permeable water barrier must be installed behind the battens and cladding.
  • When used as a decorative facing on a weather tight masonry wall, a water barrier is not generally necessary.
  • The same applies for fixing distances.

CAUTION!

  • Cladding should not be taken into account when designing a timber stud to resist racking forces.
  • Do not install cladding at ground floor level where severe impacts will occur.
  • Coloured cladding is not covered under the 10 year guarantee