Frequently Asked Questions
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Table of contents
Cladding FAQs
How long will larch cladding last?
When properly installed, larch cladding has a life expectancy of 20-30+ years.
Can I install my cladding myself?
Yes! You don’t need to have experience to be able to install cladding.
Cladding is what protects your building from the elements and to ensure its effectiveness and longevity it’s important that it’s installed correctly. We have some handy information on how to install your cladding – find it here.
How do I install my cladding?
Check out our Cladding Installation Guide for some advice!
Will my cladding change colour?
Yes, larch (as with all timbers), will change its colour over time when exposed to moisture and sunlight.
Larch timber starts out a fresh orange-brown and will weather over time to a silver grey. The speed and consistency of this colour change can vary depending on the timber’s exposure level.
For more information on the weathering process (including potential accelerants and preventives), read more about Colouration and Weathering in Larch Cladding.
Is your cladding treated?
Because of its natural durability, heartwood larch doesn’t need any additional treatments before being exposed to wet conditions – so no, none of our larch cladding is treated. As we process your cladding, we’ll grade out any boards that contain too much ‘sapwood’, which is the nondurable part of the timber.
Find more information on larch’s natural durability on our blog post.
How much does larch cladding cost?
The cost of larch cladding depends on the profile, board size and quantity required. Our cladding profiles page includes current pricing information for the different styles we offer.
If you need help pricing a particular project, get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss your requirements.
Do you deliver larch cladding?
Yes, we deliver our Scottish Larch cladding throughout Scotland and across the UK. Delivery costs depend on your location and order size, so please include your delivery address when requesting a quote.
You’re also welcome to collect your cladding directly from our timber shop at our sawmill in Fife.
What profiles of larch cladding are available?
We offer a range of Scottish larch cladding profiles, including both traditional sawn cladding and modern profiled cladding options.
Our sawn cladding options include board on board, batten on board and waney edge cladding. We also supply profiled cladding styles including shiplap, shadow gap, V-groove and rounded panel cladding.
For more information on our available cladding styles and prices, visit our cladding profiles page.
Larch FAQs
Is larch a hardwood or a softwood?
Larch is a softwood, but its relatively high density, strength and natural durability mean it performs particularly well in demanding outdoor applications.
The distinction between hardwoods and softwoods is based on the type of tree the timber comes from, rather than how hard the timber itself is. Softwoods generally come from coniferous trees, while hardwoods come from broad-leaved trees.
Larch is a conifer, although unusually for a conifer, it is deciduous and loses its needles in winter.
What is larch wood used for?
Larch is commonly used for exterior applications including cladding, decking, fencing and outdoor structures. Its strength and natural durability also make it suitable for structural timber and other applications where good resistance to weather and wear is important.
How long does larch wood last?
Larch is naturally durable and can last for decades in suitable external applications when properly designed and installed. At Scottish Wood, our oldest larch-clad buildings are approaching 30 years old and show no sign of decay.
What colour is larch wood?
Freshly cut larch ranges in colour from warm golden-yellow to a pale reddish-brown. When exposed to sunlight and moisture outdoors, untreated larch gradually weathers to a silvery-grey colour. The speed of weathering depends on the timber’s exposure.
For more information and examples of larch’s colour transformation, visit our Larch Colouration and Weathering page.
Is Scottish larch a different species?
No, Scottish larch is not a species in itself. The term refers to larch grown in Scotland, which may include European, Japanese, and hybrid larch.
Firewood FAQs
How many logs do I get in a 1.5m3 load?
Both our kiln-dried firewood logs and our sawmill offcuts are sold as a loose scoop from our forklift, with a 1.5m3 bucket. This equates to a little over 2x standard builders bags.
What’s the difference between kiln-dried and seasoned firewood?
Seasoned firewood is dried naturally over time, usually outdoors, and can take a year or more to reach a suitable moisture content. Kiln-dried firewood is dried in a controlled kiln environment, allowing moisture to leave the timber more quickly and consistently.
Kiln drying ensures the logs are ready to burn when you receive them, with predictable quality and performance.
Why is kiln-dried firewood better to burn?
Kiln-dried logs light more easily, burn hotter, and produce less smoke than unseasoned or poorly seasoned wood. With less moisture in the timber, more energy is released as heat rather than being used to evaporate water.
This makes kiln-dried firewood more efficient, cleaner to burn, better for your stove and chimney, and generally more comfortable for indoor use.
Is your firewood “Ready to Burn”, and what does that mean?
Yes – all our firewood meets the UK Ready to Burn standard, meaning it has a moisture content of below 20%, which is now a legal requirement for firewood sales in the UK.
Ready to Burn logs burn more efficient than unseasoned green wood and emit less smoke and few emissions. This makes them better for your health, reduces environmental impact, and reduced the maintenance needed on your chimney and fireplace.
Hardwood vs softwood firewood
Our firewood loads are made up of a mixed blend of hardwood logs and larch, depending on what’s being processed in the sawmill at the time.
Hardwoods (broadleaf trees) are denser and tend to burn more slowly than softwoods – giving a longer-lasting, steady heat. Softwoods (conifer trees) usually light more quickly and burn faster.
Larch is a softwood, but stands apart from many other softwood species due to its density. Larch has a high calorific value, higher even than some hardwoods, and it produces a strong heat and a good flame when kiln-dried. This makes larch an excellent firewood material.
For more information about larch’s firewood properties check out our blog post: Larch Firewood: is a good alternative to hardwood logs?
Online Shop FAQs
Do you post all your stock online?
No, our online shop is a very small percentage of our overall products. The full range can be viewed in person at our timber shop, located outside Dunfermline, Scotland.
Is shipping included?
Shipping costs to mainland UK and Northern Ireland have been included in the product cost. Contact us if you are in the Scottish Islands.
Is all your timber kiln dried?
All the pieces sold online are kiln dried. If we list a rare non–kiln dried item, it will be clearly labelled.
An item I wanted is out of stock – will there be more?
If you had your eye on a piece and someone else beat you to it, you can get in touch with us. Though each of our boards are unique, only a very small percentage of our stock is posted online, and we may have another similar piece available in the shop.
Register your interest using the stock notification button or send us a message with the product number of the out-of-stock item you want.
If I buy a gift card, can I use in in person and online?
Yes! Our gift cards are redeemable both online and in store.
There’s a piece I have my eye on – can I come see it in person before I buy?
Yes, all online stock (and much, much more!) is available to view in our onsite shop before purchase. Picking it up in store may also save you a bit of money on delivery fees, which we’ll take off the online price.
If you’d like to reserve the board to be viewed or collected later in the week, then please get in touch.
Can you make changes to the board I want to buy?
We can make some basic custom adjustments to online orders – such as trimming the length, reducing the thickness, or removing an edge (boards only, edges can’t be removed on offcuts below 1m in length). We cannot do detailed custom cuts or shaping.
These alterations will incur an additional charge that is calculated based on the amount of machining needed for the order. Minimum charge is £18. To enquire about machining please send us a message with the product number of the board you are interested in, and we will get back to you with cost and availability.
Products altered in this way are final sale and are not eligible for normal return policy.
What is your return policy?
If the piece you’ve ordered turns out to be the wrong fit for the job, you can arrange a return within 14 days of receipt. There is no return charge, but the customer is responsible for the cost and organisation of return shipping – this is in line with your consumer rights.
For more information – please see our online shop terms and conditions.
Where does your timber come from?
We source our timber from various sources around Scotland, including estate woodlands, development sites, urban works and commercial forestry.
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