Everyone wants to be in the know when it comes to timber building care. No one wants to be left wondering why their cladding is changing colour, or to accidentally clean their timber garage with a power washer (eek). We’re with you.
We know that our customers like to get things just right; it’s why they chose Gillies & Mackay in the first place. And it’s reflected in how much thought we put into our Aftercare advice. We want to give you all the information you need so you don’t have to worry about getting it wrong.
Whether you’re already the proud owner of a G&M Workshop or Garage, or you’re considering buying, this guide is everything you need to know about caring for cladding with a natural finish, from oiling it to leaving it to weather.
How is the cladding of my Workshop or Garage protected?
First things first, your Workshop or Garage is clad in either pressure-treated Scandinavian redwood or thermotreated Radiata pine. If your building has Radiata cladding, you’re in the wrong place — head on over here and follow those maintenance instructions instead.
You’ll have a choice of two finishes for your Workshop or Garage cladding; you can paint it in Sadolin or keep the natural finish. The advice in this blog post applies to pressure-treated Scandinavian redwood with a natural timber finish only.
If you choose the natural timber finish your building will get a preservative base coat in our factory. This protects the timber during transit and installation. The redwood cladding of your Workshop or Garage is pressure-treated so it’s already protected from rot and insect infestation. But because we believe it’s better to be safe than sorry, the base coat also contains fungicides, giving your building an extra layer of protection.
You don’t need to worry about defending your building against moisture either (though it would be funny to see a massive umbrella over a Garage) — your 3-Tier walls do all the work for you.
Can I leave my Workshop or Garage to weather?
When your Workshop or Garage is delivered the cladding is a bright blond colour. You have the option to leave the cladding to weather naturally or to maintain the colour by regularly oiling the building.
UV weathering is a natural process that’s the result of exposure to sunlight and weather. This is a surface change and doesn’t mean your building is damaged or compromised in any way.
Left to weather, the cladding of your Workshop or Garage will lighten over time, eventually turning to a silvery tone. Be aware that this can happen unevenly, leaving some areas lighter than others, kind of like a patchy tan.
If you like the look of weathered timber, or simply want a low-maintenance choice, leaving your Workshop or Garage to weather will be a no-brainer.
How do I oil my Workshop or Garage?
If you’d prefer to maintain the original colour of your cladding then you can regularly coat the building in Osmo UV Protection Oil (Osmo Oil). Osmo Oil slows down the weathering process by shielding the cladding from sunlight, preserving the colour of the timber for longer. Think of it like putting on suncream.
Osmo Oil is available in clear or a number of tinted shades. Coating your cladding in clear oil will help maintain the tone of the timber, but if you want to darken it or alter the tone slightly you can go for a tinted shade of your choice instead (go mad!).
If you choose to preserve the original tone of the timber, we recommend giving your building a coat of clear Osmo Oil around 3 weeks after delivery. During the first few weeks after installation the timbers of your building may shift slightly as they adjust to their new spot. Giving the timbers three weeks to settle ensures each board gets properly coated when you apply the first coat.
If you want a slightly lighter timber finish, you can always wait for your cladding to weather slightly and then decide to add a coat of Osmo Oil.
Beyond this we recommend you recoat your Workshop or Garage in Osmo Oil every 3 – 5 years, or whenever you feel it needs it. When recoating, you should clean the cladding first with Osmo Decking Cleaner. I know it might seem like an extra faff, but trust me — you don’t want to seal dirt under a fresh coat of oil. Your building will thank you for it in the long run.
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How do I clean my Workshop or Garage?
To clean the outer cladding of your building, dilute Osmo Decking Cleaner with water. You can dilute the cleaner with anywhere from 1:25 cleaner:water (weak) to 1:1 cleaner:water (strong). We’d recommend starting with a weaker dilution and increasing the concentration if you find your cladding is particularly dirty.
Use a stiff bristle brush to scrub along the wood grain of the timber boards. Then rinse the cleaner off with clean water and allow the cladding to dry. Please note that a pressure washer is not suitable to use on a timber building as it could damage the cladding and may end in tears.
Once your building is fully dry you can add a coat of Osmo Oil to your building using a flat paint brush.
If you’re leaving your Workshop or Garage to weather, you don’t need to clean the cladding, but if you find it’s looking a little neglected, Osmo Decking Cleaner will do the trick here too.
How do I look after a Workshop or Garage coated in Osmo Oil?
Caring for your cladding doesn’t have to be a headache after all. Whether you choose the low-maintenance route of leaving your building to weather naturally, or decide to meticulously re-oil, following our aftercare instructions will make sure you’re always on the right track.
If you have any questions or there’s anything we haven’t covered in this post, get in touch at info@gilliesandmackay.com and we’ll be happy to help. Your building is our billboard, so we care about how it looks just as much as you do.
