Garden building cladding

[Timja]

Going to build a shed and connected insulated garden room. (One building, split in middle).

Due to space the back of it needs to be close to a wall (c. 20cm) so maintenance will be difficult. On one side will have max 50cm access too.

What type of cladding would you recommend/have you used for similar projects?

We want something that will last a long time with minimal maintenance all round really rather than needing to treat every couple of years.

Is plastic/composite best option or is there a particularly good wood to use?

Welcome any photo ideas or suggestions of brands to use.

[razor11]

We've got a similar dilemma, so are interesting in the overall guidance.

We're leaning towards Fibre Cement cladding from either of the two main suppliers.....for longevity, quality and compatible aesthetic.

The challenge we similarly have is limited (50cm) access/clearance for installation along one wall. Interested to hear if that's practical or not. I'm not a small bloke (ahem).

[Sideways Tim]

I used Cedral on ours, still looks good seven years later and hasn't been touched, not even a wash.

[Jeremy-75qq8]

We used " plastic " for the side and back which were non visible and then cedar for the front.

There are products like mil board that look excellent but at a cost

[Stevemr]

Hardie plank. You can colour matched aluminium extrusions for corners / doorways etc.
this is my concrete sectional garage clad in it.
Gets washed down once a year. 15 year guarantee.

[Rob.]

Mine has about 300mm space to the boundary in 2 faces. I used larch planks on the visible sides, then dark grey corrugated sheeting on the boundary sides.

[Mark V GTD]

Be careful regarding building control requirements for non combustible materials in proximity to boundaries.

[LooneyTunes]

If you're not bothered about fire performance, tanalised T&G will last many years in that sort of location.

I've recently been looking at cladding for a project where fire performance is important and will almost certainly be using a "thermally modified" timber that has significantly increased service life vs a conventional timber. That timber is also going to be pressure treated (at the factory) with fire retardant.

[wolfracesonic]

If it’s not seen and won’t be subject to damage have a look at 300mm pvc hollow soffit board, designed for soffits obviously but can be pressed into service for vertical applications. It will be miles cheaper than Cedral etc. nice as they are. Though with 20cm of room to play with, how will you fix anything?

[Timja]

Thanks for suggestions. A few brands like Cedral and Millboard etc to look at.

As the building will be constructed on site, the idea is to make the back wall panel 1st with boards attached then stand up/ move into position. Should just be the lower half which is hard to reach, top part should be able to reach from neighbours garden.

This is why I want something that will
Ideally last 25+ years so I don t need to worry about it again.

Sides and front could be something different potentially.

So many options to look at!

Building fitting in here, will be around 50cm clearance on left and 100cm on right hand side.