Choosing the right cladding can be a tricky decision with so many options to choose from.
The most common available are: Overlap, Shiplap or Loglap.
Overlap:
As the name suggests, this cladding is simply boards that are laid one on top of the other before being nailed into place, creating boards that sit at angle, encouraging water to run off. This is usually the cheapest option as it is made from a lower quality wood and is quicker to work with. This style of cladding and the low quality wood leads to warped boards and knots falling out, leaving you with a shed that is no longer water tight and therefore reducing the life of the building.
Shiplap or Matching
This type of cladding has a tongue and groove machined into the wood at the saw mill, meaning that as each board is laid, it interlocks before being nailed into place. The interlocking tongue and groove create a weather tight join that also helps hold it in place, resisting warping. The difference between Shiplap and Matching is purely the profile at the top edge of the board. The difference is best shown in the picture above.
Loglap
This is sometimes also called barrel board, because the face edge is machined with a barrel or log-like finish. Just like Shiplap and Matching, it is also machined with tongue and groove so it has all the same advantages. Loglap is usually machined out of thicker wood, making it more stable and further resisting warping. We use 25x100mm Loglap - machine finished to 20x95mm. We find that even a neglected shed in the 20mm Loglap that has never been re-preserved after delivery, still doesn't warp.
