Iroko Hardwood Cladding Board – Shiplap Profile – 140×18 mm – 4000 mm (13 ft.)

Iroko Shiplap Cladding Board

Specify Iroko once and you can reasonably forget about it for the next 25 years. While most cladding starts looking tired by year ten, Iroko keeps its quiet confidence — a tropical hardwood that ages from warm butter-yellow into rich, chocolate brown, and finally settles into the elegant silver patina you see on the most considered buildings in Dublin. It’s the species architects reach for when a project has to look right on day one and still look right twenty-five years later. There’s a reason it’s known as African Teak: the warmth, the depth, the weather resistance — at a fraction of the cost of true teak. Sourced from sustainably managed West African forests (principally Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire) and stocked in our yard for delivery across Ireland.

Why Iroko?

Iroko earns its reputation honestly. The same natural oils that give the wood its golden glow also make it one of the most weather-resistant hardwoods on the planet — Durability Class 1–2, naturally resistant to rot, insects, and fungal decay, with no chemical treatment required. It’s denser than European Oak and almost as hard as true Teak, but at a sensible price. The grain runs straight and largely knot-free, giving facades a calm, considered appearance rather than a busy one. Subtle colour variation between boards — some pieces darker and heavier, some lighter — adds quiet character to a finished elevation, the kind of detail that catches the light differently through the day. Iroko has been used for over a century in window frames, doors, and the exposed parts of wooden ships, places where failure isn’t an option. Specifying it for a house or commercial facade puts that same pedigree to work where it shows.

Installation guidance

Iroko is straightforward to install for any competent contractor. Boards run vertically or horizontally over a ventilated batten cavity, fixed with stainless-steel ringshank nails or screws — never galvanised or mild steel, which the wood’s natural tannins will react with and stain. Pre-drilling near board ends prevents splitting (Iroko’s interlocked grain has a mind of its own at the edges). Use proper dust extraction when cutting — the sawdust can irritate sensitive skin and lungs. Beyond that, Iroko is forgiving timber: it works cleanly with sharp tools and rewards careful detailing with a finish that looks effortless.

Finishing & maintenance

You have two good options with Iroko, and there’s no wrong answer. The natural route — leaving the timber untreated to silver gracefully over twelve to eighteen months — is what many architects specify for, and it’s the lowest-effort path forward. The preserved route — keeping that warm golden-brown to chocolate colour for years on end — takes a little more attention but rewards you with a facade that holds its character indefinitely. If you choose to oil, use a UV-protective hardwood oil specifically formulated for oily tropical hardwoods (we stock the right ones — ask us if you’re unsure which to pair with your boards). Apply within the first few months of installation, refresh annually for the first three years, then every two or three years thereafter. The one thing to avoid either way is film-forming paint, varnish, or general-purpose stain — Iroko’s natural oils repel them and they’ll flake within a couple of seasons. For periodic cleaning, a soft brush and diluted neutral cleaner is all that’s needed, whichever route you choose.