Specialized facade services
Specialist Thermowood Cladding Installation
Thermowood is timber modified through a controlled heat-treatment process, making it suitable for outdoor use (facades, terraces, pergolas, etc.). A thermowood facade brings the warmth and natural feel of wood to a modern envelope and, combined with glass, metal and concrete, gives the project a luxurious, human touch.
1Applications
- Mixed facades on towers and office buildings
- Commercial projects and storefronts
- Villas and luxury residences
- Cladding of the exterior walls of terraces and balconies
- Decorative elements at entrances and lobbies
2Advantages
- Warm, natural appearance
- Excellent harmony with glass and metal
- Low weight and relatively fast installation
- Possibility of local replacement and repair
- Horizontal, vertical and mixed laying patterns
3Technical Notes
- Selection of a thermowood species and class suitable for outdoor use
- Steel or pressure-treated timber substructure design with correct spacing and rear ventilation
- Stainless screws with pre-drilling to prevent the wood from splitting
- Observing expansion gaps between thermowood boards
- Waterproofing detail design at edges, beneath balconies and at junctions with other materials
- Selection of a protective finish (oil/exterior-grade lacquer) and a periodic maintenance schedule
Custom execution detail
Wood is alive: it swells and shrinks. The thermowood detail must allow this 'breathing', otherwise the boards cup in summer and the screws work loose.
Part-by-part notes:
- 1Finnish SLP thermowood boards (Thermo-D class), 20 mm thick — UV-protection oil applied before installation and re-applied every 2 to 3 years; without oil the wood silvers to grey (good or bad, depending on the design!).
- 2Concealed 304 stainless-steel clips — no visible fixings anywhere on the facade; ordinary steel screws rust in damp wood and leave permanent black stains.
- 3Treated-timber or aluminium substructure at a calculated spacing — vertical rails no more than 60 cm apart so the boards do not bow.
- 4Breather and windproof membrane behind the cladding (e.g. Tyvek) — controls driving rain and cold wind; without it the back of the boards stays permanently damp.
- 56 to 10 mm shadow gap between the boards — an architectural feature that also gives the wood room to expand; a closed joint = a wavy facade in summer.
AI & analytical tools
- Climate analysis (city, facade orientation, rainfall and solar exposure) with recommendations for the matching profile type and protective finish
- Smart cost estimate based on area, building use and project conditions
- Forecast of suitable intervals for renewing the protective finish
Execution steps
- 1Consultation and selection of thermowood, profile and color
- 2Substructure and connection detail design
- 3Substructure installation and rear waterproofing
- 4Thermowood profile installation and adjustment
- 5Final finish application (where required) and handover
- 6Delivery of a maintenance guide to the client
Take the next step
For a facade that combines modernity with the warmth of natural wood, entrust the design and installation of your thermowood facade to Namakaran Fakher Engineering Co.