6 min read · Updated 18 July 2026
Timber vs Composite Garden Room Cladding: Which Ages Better in the UK?
Composite cladding manufacturers oversell 'zero maintenance' and timber suppliers undersell how much silvering owners actually like. Here's what each cladding looks like at year ten on a UK plot.
The trade-off in one line
Composite gives you a colour-locked, low-maintenance box that looks identical at year 10. Timber gives you a warmer, more period-appropriate finish that silvers gracefully but needs a re-oil every 2-3 years to keep its original tone.
2026 upcharge for composite over timber (Surrey/Hants)
On a 4x3m garden room: composite cladding adds £1,400-£2,600 to the build price. On a 5x4m room: £2,200-£3,800.
Maintenance reality
Composite: annual wash-down with soapy water. That's it.
Timber (Western red cedar, thermowood, Siberian larch): re-oil every 2-3 years to hold colour, or leave to silver naturally over 3-5 years and stop maintaining it altogether. Both are legitimate finishes.
Colour and light behaviour
Composite reads as flat and modern - suits contemporary rooms with large glazing. Timber reads as warmer and picks up dawn/dusk light better - suits rooms sited near mature planting.
What we'd fit on our own garden
For a home office visible from the kitchen 365 days a year: composite, so it stays looking new. For a summerhouse tucked at the end of a mature garden: cedar, left to silver.