Larch: Using the Best of British

British larch cladding is a great alternative to the Siberian larch, originating in Russia. Not only is it free of any sanctions or trade bans, but it also has a lighter environmental impact and will cost you less. When you buy British wood, you’ll also be supporting the management and upkeep of local woodlands too. Win-win.

British-grown larch grows more quickly than Siberian larch but, when it comes to external timber cladding, it performs just as well. Its durability and density are on a par – and we’ve purposely set the grading rules to match Russian larch, so you’ll never need to compromise.

The benefits of buying local

At Vastern Timber, we’re specialists in locally grown wood, and we’re proud to be the UK’s largest hardwood sawmill. Since the war in Ukraine, I’ve been able to make an even stronger case for homegrown larch. The thing is, we have beautiful wood growing right here on our doorstep – and there are so many reasons for choosing it.

To start with, British larch is durable, affordable, and obtainable. What’s more, when you choose wood that’s grown in British woodlands, there’s no risk of conflict timber entering your supply chain.

Siberian larch has been classified as conflict timber since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, which obviously has huge legal and ethical problems for timber merchants. We’ve not imported any Siberian larch since that time and we’ve found many customers are happy to use British-grown wood instead. Not least because they avoid any associated reputational risks or worries that go along with buying Siberian larch today.

Sourcing locally can reduce emissions from timber transport as well. It helps to lower the carbon impact of construction and supports ongoing investment in local woodlands.

Knotty but nice

I know many people associate British larch with knotty timber. In truth, knotty cladding will last just as long as cleaner versions, but many customers do prefer the cleaner look of less knotty wood. That’s why we offer ‘Grade-A’ British larch.

Our ‘Grade A’ larch is sourced from English and Welsh woodlands where the larch grows big and clean. We select the best of these British larch logs – then we get even more picky. We only use the ‘butt’ end of the tree, which contains the fewest knots. To ensure the smoothest look, we take extra time to produce our larch cladding, allowing the larch timbers to dry slowly and naturally. It’s worth the wait, because the end result not only looks great, it’s also more stable than Siberian larch.

I believe this grade of British larch is unique in the industry. British larch (Larix decidua) looks closer to Douglas Fir than Siberian larch and, in my opinion, it’s more attractive than Siberian larch (Larix siberica), which looks similar to pine.

In being selective and creating beautiful homegrown larch cladding, I hope to encourage more builders to use the best British materials. Our ‘Grade A’ British larch is a popular alternative for Siberian larch. And for those on a budget, our ‘B grade’ larch is available from £15/m2.

See the results for yourself

We could tell you about the benefits of British larch all day, but, as they say, seeing is believing. One of our customers recently used our British larch cladding for their detached family home. Here’s what they had to say. “The exterior of the house is clad with British larch, laid vertically with alternating widths of cladding. We wanted a native timber sourced locally and we haven’t looked back. The cladding complements the setting and style of the property perfectly.”

Local larch was a bargain

Another customer opted for our cost-effective ‘Grade B’ larch cladding for their renovation and extension project. “We chose British larch because it’s good value, it doesn’t require maintenance, and it’s local. We wanted to work with suppliers based nearby who can handle the quantities we need, and to source local grown wood where possible.”

Where does the wood come from?

Vastern Timber specialises in locally grown wood, and we actively encourage buyers to ask where our wood comes from. Our British-grown larch is usually sourced within 100 miles of our sawmill. And it always comes from well managed woodland like Hen’s Wood in Wiltshire. So, if you’re looking for affordable, convenient, lower impact larch that supports British woodland, you don’t have to go too far. Ask us, or your local sawmill, about British larch. You won’t be disappointed.