Guides · Carpentry
Timber Facade: Types, Costs and the Question of Greying
A timber facade is the most honest skin a house can have: it shows its age instead of hiding it. What it costs, which cladding suits what, and why greying is your friend.
How a timber facade is built up
A good timber facade is always back-ventilated: insulation sits on the wall, then a windproof membrane, then battens creating a continuous air gap — and only on top of that the visible cladding. The air gap dries the timber from behind after every rain. Facades that rot almost always rot because this build-up is missing or blocked at the bottom, not because of the wood.
There are three basic forms of cladding. Vertical board-and-batten is the most robust: water runs off along the grain. Horizontal lap cladding looks calmer and more classic but needs properly formed drip edges. Open slat cladding with gaps between the boards is the most contemporary — it depends on the layer behind being black and cleanly executed.
What a timber facade costs
| Scope | Guide price |
|---|---|
| New cladding on existing build-up | CHF 100 to 200 per m² |
| Complete back-ventilated facade, with insulation | CHF 250 to 450 per m² |
| Single-family house complete, incl. scaffolding | CHF 40,000 to 90,000 |
What moves the price: the timber species, the cladding form, window junctions and whether insulation is added. As with the roof: the canton of Zurich subsidises facade insulation, but not cladding alone. If you are renovating anyway, the right order of steps is in the house refurbishment guide.
Greying: defect or concept
Untreated timber turns grey on a facade. UV light breaks down the lignin at the surface, rain washes it out — what remains is a silver-grey layer that protects the wood beneath. That is not weathering in the sense of damage. The only problem is the transition period: weather-exposed sides grey faster, sheltered spots slower, and for two to five years the facade looks patchy.
There are three honest ways to handle it. Waiting: costs nothing, needs patience, ends most beautifully. Pre-greying: a glaze that anticipates the final state — the facade looks even from day one and grows into its true grey. Pigmented glaze or paint: holds the desired tone but needs recoating every 5 to 15 years. Only one rule always applies: if you never want to paint, never start painting.
Which species belongs on a facade
- Spruce and silver fir — the affordable classics. Work untreated if the constructive protection is right: roof overhang, plinth clearance, back ventilation.
- Larch and Douglas fir — more durable and denser, the first choice for exposed positions and horizontal cladding.
- Thermally modified timber or oak — for special requirements. More expensive, more dimensionally stable, darker in tone.
And one limit we address openly: in core zones and for protected buildings, the municipality has a say in the facade material. We clarify that before anything is drawn — the guide to building permits shows how the procedure works.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a timber facade last?
Properly built up and back-ventilated: 50 years and more, untreated. There are timber houses in Switzerland whose cladding is over a hundred years old. Longevity is decided in the details — plinth, end grain, junctions — not in the coating.
Is a timber facade a fire risk?
For single-family houses and smaller residential buildings, timber cladding is permitted without difficulty under fire regulations. Under the current Swiss fire codes, timber is even possible on high-rises — the requirements simply increase with building height.
Can a rendered facade be converted to timber?
Yes. The back-ventilated timber facade is built as a new layer in front of the existing wall, usually together with new insulation. It is one of the most common ways older houses get their second skin — energy upgrade and new look in one move.
A new skin for your house?
As a carpentry business with an in-house architect, we design and build timber facades in and around Zurich — from build-up to the last board. Send me a photo of your facade and I will tell you what is possible. The first conversation is free.
