SSB Charred Brushed Stained Grey -CHIBA

Charred Timber Cladding Grey UK – Nordic Spruce Brushed Stained | CHIBA

CHIBA is a grey brushed stained finish applied over charred Nordic Spruce — a cool, contemporary grey exterior cladding from our charred timber cladding range. The boards are charred using the Shou Sugi Ban technique, wire-brushed to refine the surface and prepare it for the stain, then finished with a UV-stable grey stain. The grey sits over the charred base to produce a muted, cool-toned exterior finish with the depth and texture of the charring process beneath it — not a flat painted surface, but a grey with substance, shadow, and the subtle grain relief of the wire-brushed spruce visible at close range.

Grey is one of the most specified exterior colours in contemporary UK architecture, driven by its versatility across a wide range of material combinations and building types. The challenge with grey exterior timber cladding is that most of the available options are painted or grey-stained softwood — products that look good when new but require retreatment every 3–5 years as the paint or surface stain breaks down on the untreated timber beneath. CHIBA addresses this challenge directly: grey charred timber cladding that looks better than painted grey softwood on the building, and performs significantly better over time.

CHIBA vs Painted Grey Softwood Cladding

The performance difference between CHIBA and painted grey softwood cladding is rooted in what happens to the timber surface before the grey stain is applied. Painted grey softwood receives its grey colour as a film on top of raw, untreated timber. That film sits on a substrate that is still absorbing and releasing moisture with every rain event and dry spell — cycling in and out as the seasons change, causing the paint film to crack, lift, and eventually delaminate from the surface. The result is a cladding that looks well maintained when freshly painted and progressively worse in the years between treatments.

CHIBA applies the grey stain to a surface that has already been fundamentally modified. The Shou Sugi Ban charring process reduces the moisture absorption of the Nordic Spruce surface at a cellular level — the charred surface is less hygroscopic, absorbs less water during rain events, and dries faster. The wire-brushing then removes the loose carbon layer and exposes a harder, denser surface that takes the grey stain with better penetration and adhesion than raw planed softwood. The stain is not sitting on top of an untreated substrate — it is in a prepared surface that moves less, breathes less aggressively, and holds the stain for significantly longer.

Design Contexts for Grey Charred Timber Cladding

CHIBA is at its best in design contexts where the cool palette of contemporary architecture demands a grey exterior. It works alongside zinc and zinc-effect metal roofing and rainwater goods, weathering steel (Corten), board-formed and polished concrete, structural glass, and light through-colour render — the material combinations that define a significant proportion of UK contemporary architecture from the 2010s onwards.

It is well suited to urban and suburban extensions where a grey exterior needs to respond to the existing palette of slate roofs, painted render, and metal details without competing. It suits new build houses with metal roofing or standing seam cladding where a grey timber element adds warmth and natural texture to an otherwise industrial palette. In coastal settings the grey tone resonates with the bleached, salt-weathered palette of the landscape — driftwood, pale stone, and steel — giving buildings a quality of sitting naturally in their environment rather than standing out from it.

For projects where charred timber cladding is specified and grey rather than black is the required colour, CHIBA is the direct answer. It is also increasingly specified as an alternative to black timber cladding on projects where a darker exterior is required but full black feels too strong for the planning context or client preference.

Profiles and Dimensions

CHIBA is available across the full range of cladding profiles in 20mm and 21mm thickness, widths of 90mm, 120mm, and 140mm, and lengths from 2000mm to 6000mm. Profiles include Batten PAR, Half Lap, Shadow Gap, Shadow Gap V Joint, Tongue and Groove V Joint, Tongue and Groove V Joint Extra, Tongue and Groove V Joint Secret Fix, Rainscreen, and Rainscreen TIGA. Bespoke sizes and profiles can be made to order. Download the full profile schedule (PDF).

Installation Guidelines

Install as part of a ventilated rainscreen façade system with minimum 25mm clear cavity, breathable membrane, and minimum 150mm ground clearance. Use stainless steel fixings throughout. Seal all cut ends before installation. Maintain correct detailing at all junctions, reveals, sills, and copings. Where reaction-to-fire performance is required, CHIBA can be supplied with fire-retardant treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions