Timber Cladding Samples UK — Order Free Samples, All Species & Profiles 2026

Timber cladding samples are the single most important step between choosing a species on screen and placing a confident order — because timber looks different in person. The colour, grain character, profile depth, and texture of Siberian larch, ThermoWood, Nordic spruce, charred SSB, and Douglas fir cannot be accurately judged from a photograph. A sample held against your brickwork, render, or window frames in natural daylight tells you immediately whether it is right for your project. This guide covers which samples to order, what to look for when they arrive, how the different species compare side by side, and how to go from sample to order with confidence.

Timber Cladding Specialists sample box — free timber cladding samples posted across the UK within 1–2 working days. Every species we stock is available as a sample: Siberian larch, ThermoWood, Nordic spruce, charred SSB, and Douglas fir. Request yours today — no obligation, no cost.

Charred timber cladding samples — our Shou Sugi Ban range in different finishes and char depths. Charred cladding is one of the most difficult materials to judge from a screen — the depth of char, texture of the brushed surface, and warmth of the underlying grain all need to be seen and touched in person. Samples are free, posted within 1–2 days.

Why Timber Cladding Samples Matter — What You Cannot See on Screen

Every timber cladding buyer who has ordered without samples and then been surprised by the delivered boards will tell you the same thing: screens lie. The reasons are straightforward and apply to every species:

• Colour is never accurate on screen: Monitor brightness, colour temperature, and photography lighting all distort timber colour. Siberian larch's honey-gold looks orange on some screens and yellow on others. ThermoWood's honey-brown looks almost identical to larch on some displays. Charred SSB's deep black can look flat on screen but has extraordinary texture and depth in person. The only accurate colour reference is a physical sample held in daylight
• Grain character cannot be judged from photos: The tight, resinous grain of Siberian larch, the clean uniform grain of ThermoWood, and the coarser character of Nordic spruce all feel and look completely different at arm's length. Knot frequency, size, and character — which define so much of a cladding's visual personality — are invisible in scaled-down photography
• Profile depth only makes sense in person: A shadow gap looks like a line in a photo. In person, the shadow cast by the recessed rebate changes completely with the angle of the sun — morning, evening, overcast, direct sun all produce different depths of shadow. The profile depth of a triple shadow gap vs a single shadow gap is genuinely surprising to most buyers seeing it for the first time in person
• Charred texture must be felt: The brushed, textured surface of Shou Sugi Ban charred cladding — the char depth, the visible wood grain beneath, the warmth of the dark surface — is one of the most tactile building materials available. It cannot be conveyed in any photograph. Every buyer who has ordered charred cladding having only seen photographs reports the same thing: it is better in person
• Weathered vs fresh colour is a critical decision: Larch will silver-grey over 3–5 years. ThermoWood will silver-grey over 2–4 years. Whether you oil to maintain the fresh colour or let it weather is a whole-project decision. A weathered sample alongside a fresh sample makes this choice concrete and visual rather than abstract

Timber Cladding Samples — All Species Available UK

Treated and natural timber cladding samples — seeing the different species and finishes side by side makes the species selection decision straightforward. The colour, grain character, and surface finish of larch, ThermoWood, spruce, and charred boards are all immediately distinct when held together in natural daylight.

We supply free samples of every species and profile we stock. Here is what is available and what each sample will show you:

Most popular

Siberian Larch

Class 3 · No treatment · 20–30 yrs · from £50.39/m²

The UK's most widely specified cladding timber. Fresh sample shows the honey-gold colour and tight resinous grain. Available in shadow gap, double shadow gap, feather edge, shiplap, log lap, rainscreen, and T&G — we can send samples of any profile. See the knot character, feel the density, and hold it against your building in daylight before committing.

Request Larch Sample →

Zero maintenance

ThermoWood

Class 2 · Zero treatment · 25–40 yrs · from £50.39/m²

Premium thermally modified timber — Class 2 durable, zero maintenance, 25–40 year service life. The sample shows the warm honey-brown tone and resin-free, uniform grain. Noticeably different from larch in person — cleaner, more even, slightly lighter in weight. We can send shadow gap, double shadow gap, triple shadow gap, or half lap samples.

Request ThermoWood Sample →

Budget choice

Nordic Spruce

Class 4 · Requires treatment · 15–20 yrs · from £21.20/m²

The most cost-effective natural timber cladding option. The sample shows the pale, clean grain and slightly softer surface compared to larch. Requires preservative treatment every 2–4 years but at less than half the price of larch, it suits projects where budget is the primary constraint and a treatment programme is planned. Shadow gap, feather edge, log lap, T&G, and rainscreen all available.

Request Spruce Sample →

Bold black finish

Charred SSB

Standard £60.39/m² · Premium £86.99/m² · 15–40 yrs

Shou Sugi Ban charred cladding — the most tactile and visually impactful cladding material we supply. The sample shows the char depth, brushed grain texture, and warmth of the dark surface that no photograph can convey. Standard finish (spruce-based, £60.39/m²) and premium finish (larch-based, £86.99/m²) — ask for both so you can compare the base timber quality and char depth side by side.

Request Charred SSB Sample →

Distinctive character

Douglas Fir

Class 3–4 · Treatment required · 20–30 yrs · from £35/m²

The warmest, most characterful of the cladding timbers we stock — the reddish-brown colour and fine straight grain are unique among softwood cladding species. The sample makes immediately clear why Douglas fir is specified when a warm reddish-brown facade is the design intent. Available in rainscreen 27x68mm and T&G V-joint 20x140mm. Requires treatment every 2–4 years to maintain the rich colour.

Request Douglas Fir Sample →

What to Check When Your Samples Arrive

Shadow gap cladding boards — the depth and precision of the machined rebate is one of the things that must be seen and felt in person. The shadow line the rebate casts changes significantly with the angle of light — morning sun, evening sun, and overcast conditions all produce different shadow depths. A sample tells you how bold or subtle the profile will read on your elevation.

Getting the most from your samples means checking the right things. Here is what to assess when they arrive:

Siberian Larch vs ThermoWood — What the Sample Difference Tells You

Fully weathered Siberian larch cladding — ordering a weathered larch sample alongside a fresh one shows you the full colour journey your cladding will make over 3–5 years. The silver-grey weathered end-state is what most uncoated larch installations eventually settle into — seeing it in person alongside the fresh honey-gold makes the oiling decision easy.

The most common sample request we receive is larch and ThermoWood together — and the comparison is immediately informative. In person:

• Colour: Fresh larch is honey-gold with a warm, slightly orange undertone. Fresh ThermoWood is honey-brown — slightly darker, richer, more caramel. Side by side the difference is obvious; on screen it is easy to confuse them
• Grain: Larch has a more resinous, slightly more rustic grain with visible knots and occasional resin pockets. ThermoWood is cleaner and more uniform — the modification process stabilises the grain and produces a more consistent surface across all boards
• Weight: Larch is noticeably denser and heavier than ThermoWood. Both are lighter than hardwood but the difference in hand is noticeable and gives a tangible sense of the material density
• Weathered comparison: A weathered larch sample alongside a weathered ThermoWood sample shows the difference in grey tone — larch weathers to a warm silver-grey; ThermoWood weathers to a slightly cooler, more even grey. On a multi-elevation building this consistency difference matters

See our full ThermoWood vs Siberian larch comparison guide for the complete performance and cost analysis, and our ThermoWood cladding performance guide for the full technical specification.

Charred Cladding Samples UK — Standard vs Premium Finish

Charred SSB samples generate the most consistent response of any material we send — everyone who receives one says the same thing: it is far more impressive in person than in any photograph. The two samples worth requesting together:

• Standard finish (spruce-based) — £60.39/m²: Nordic spruce substrate with deep charring and wire-brushed finish. The char is bold, the texture is pronounced, the black is deep and consistent. This is the standard charred specification for residential projects, garden rooms, and extensions. In person the brushed surface texture — raised grain lines visible beneath the char — is what makes it so distinctive
• Premium finish (larch-based) — £86.99/m²: Siberian larch substrate with the same deep charring process. The larch base gives tighter, denser grain beneath the char — the board face is more refined, the texture more precise, the surface quality noticeably higher. Hold the two samples side by side and the quality difference between spruce-base and larch-base is immediately apparent

See our full charred timber cladding guide, our black timber cladding guide, and browse our full Shou Sugi Ban range.