That old chestnut…

One of the specification decisions made early was the ambition to use indigenous timber wherever possible, and to champion less fashionable but exciting timbers where possible. Sweet Chestnut is an English hardwood which has often been used as a fencing material both as a sawn and riven or split form. The decision was made to use this naturally self protecting timber as the general cladding material for the house. It is being used in a simple square edged form with a sawn finish. The timber will weather to a grey (like many timbers). On installation the timber will have the marks of its preparation, namely the ventilating batten where the air-drying boards are separated to enable natural cross ventilation. As the boards weather the marks will recede. In the short term the marks are a record of the time the boards spent at UK Hardwoods in South Molton seasoning.