Timber is one of the most beautiful and natural materials you can use on a building. It brings warmth, texture, and a connection to nature that other materials simply can’t match.
But unlike brick, metal or plastic-based products—timber is alive in the way it behaves.

And one of the most important things to understand is this:

All external timber will change colour.
Timber is not a static material—and that’s exactly why people love it.
✔ It will change
✔ It will weather
✔ It will develop character
The key is not trying to fight that—but understanding it and designing with it in mind.

Why Does Timber Turn Grey?
When timber is exposed outdoors, it reacts to its environment:
• Sunlight (UV) breaks down the surface fibres
• Rain and moisture wash out natural pigments
• Air and pollution contribute to surface change
Over time, this leads to the familiar silver-grey appearance.
This is completely natural and happens to all species—whether it’s cedar, larch, thermally modified timber or hardwoods.

Is This a Problem?
Not at all. Greying is not a defect.
The greying process is:
• Only on the surface
• Does not affect strength or durability
• Often desired in modern architecture
In fact, many people choose timber because of how it ages or choose Brookridge Valmere pre-weathered look cladding to have a grey cladding from day one.

The Real Challenge: It Doesn’t Happen Evenly
While grey timber can look stunning, the journey to get there isn’t always perfect.
Different parts of a building age at different speeds. i.e. |South facing walls will change faster to shaded areas where the overhangs may stay in the original colour for years.
This often leads to a patchy or uneven look in the early years.
Over time, it usually evens out—but it can take several years depending on exposure.

Can You Stop Timber Going Grey?
This is one of the most common questions—and the answer is simple:
No—you cannot stop timber from changing colour naturally.
You have 2 options:
1. Let it weather naturally
• Lowest maintenance
• Fully natural look
• Accept uneven transition
2. Apply a coating to maintain colour
• Keeps a consistent appearance
• Slows down UV impact
• Requires maintenance over time but if you choose the right product, the maintenance cycles can be up to 10+ years.

There is no “maintenance-free” option that keeps the original timber colour forever.

What If You Want a Consistent Look?
There are two common approaches:
1. Maintain the original Painted Timber colour using coating, applied properly and maintained over time.
2. Use Brookridge Valmere pre-grey look timber

At Brookridge Timber, we help customers make the right decision before installation, which is where most problems are avoided.

If you’re planning a project and want to get the appearance right from day one, Brookridge Timber can guide you through the options and supply fully prepared cladding ready for installation.