Where to buy timber for cladding garden wall

Lex Luthor

I have a section of rear garden wall, built up with concrete blocks (7 blocks high) to about 5' high. I want to increase the height up to about 7-8ft so I was thinking of cladding it, rather than use the 6'x6' panels that most places have.

My idea was to attach vertical battens 3' apart. Then attach horizontal planks from the bottom up (preferably 6" planks unplaned). I would probably overlap them about 10mm to give a ship lap look to it.

My questions are:

• What size battens are recommended for securing to the wall?
• Best place to get the wood in the Kildare/West Dublin area?
• How to secure battens to the wall? (I've heard Express nails are the best & quickest way) Where can I get them?
• Any idea what length these planks are available in?

Thanks

Snaggerman

Lex, I recently carried out much the same job on my own garden walls, only the other way round, horizontal battens and vertical planks.
2x1 treated battens
4x1 treated
8mm x 60mm express nails,
all available in any builders providers. 2x1 usually available in 14' or 16' lengths,
4x1 I got was 16'. Best place I've found for timber prices is Heffernans in Kildare town, always work out cheaper than the other local Builders Providers,
Hope this helps

Sonnenblumen

Ensure the existing wall is secure otherwise a Shiplap cladding 2.4m high will during windy conditions be potentially unstable and pull down a block wall.

Shiplap is available in 4.8m lengths. I would recommend that you construct a fixing frame. First vertically fix 100x35mm pressure treated boards to the wall at 1.5m or 1.8m centres using quick anchors (available The Fixing Company, Clonsilla or any good Builders Merchants you will require M8x100mm or M8x120mm and 3 fixings per board. Once verticals have been fixed you screw fix using 3 vertical rails (100x35mm) to the posts at top, midpoint and lower end.

Once frame has been completed you can then cut shiplap boards in 2 ie lengths of 2.4m (8' ) and these are fixed ideally with a nailing gun. The latter gives a very quick but good fixing finish. You can hire such guns eg Paslode 350 and the hire shop will explain operation and also provide fixings gas etc. Make sure you wear protective goggles when using guns.

Also another tip is have a helper to ensure shiplap is vertical and hold in place for nailing.

Never a good idea to extend cladding more than 50% of wall height otherwise, 100x100 posts should be fixed in concrete footings and be independent of wall.

Finally would not consider cladding a 4" block wall unless blocks are on the flat, rarely the case, againbetter to have framework independent of wall.

All relevant Timbers are available from Clonee Sawmills, between Blanchardstown and Dunboyne.
Good Luck.

Lex Luthor

Sonnenblumen wrote:

Once verticals have been fixed you screw fix using 3 vertical rails (100x35mm) to the posts at top, midpoint and lower end.

Thanks for all replies.

Sonneblumen, when you mean "screw fix using 3 vertical rails", should you not mean horizontal?

Sonnenblumen

Lex Luthor wrote:

Thanks for all replies.

Sonneblumen, when you mean "screw fix using 3 vertical rails", should you not mean horizontal?

Yep, my mistake, meant horizontals. Well spotted.

Lex Luthor

would you fix the horizontal rails flush with the verticals or onto them ? I would imagine flush with them as you would similar to putting up a partition wall ???