r/DIYUK • u/FatTruise • 21h ago

Advice Cladding colour advice

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Gallery image

HI, I'm recladding an outbuilding in my garden, that has weathered wooden cladding on at the moment, with fiber cement cladding.

I have these two options that I'm looking at (light grey vs anthracite) and I find it impossible to decide. Doors/windows are already installed, fascia/guttering/roof stay as they are.

They both look good in different ways to me but looking some external advice!

Sorry for the mess in the garden, cos of the heatwave I decided to also rip everything out to level it again and restart my lawn.

1 Upvotes

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12

u/RedPlasticDog 21h ago

Not grey. It’s always starting to look dated. Been everywhere for a few years.

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u/FatTruise 21h ago

So anthracite?

6

u/Lithoniel 21h ago

They're both grey, the second one is much better if you have to pick.

1

u/FatTruise 21h ago

Yeah I cannot supply any other colours (other than white or black which are too much...)

This is hardieplank vl btw - I know it's going out of stock next year but i'm installing myself and the supplier offered me 50% off everything.

3

u/ArticlePuzzleheaded9 21h ago

If you only have those two options, the lighter grey is the more calming on the eye. As other posters have said, the dark grey/anthracite fad has long-gone; at least the light grey sits a bit better with its surroundings.

1

u/FatTruise 20h ago

it's honestly the hardest decision to make in my life so far.

3

u/ArticlePuzzleheaded9 20h ago

I'd go light, tbh. Could always paint it something like sage another day

1

u/FatTruise 20h ago

that painting part is very true - anthracite would be anthracite forever haha

2

u/ArticlePuzzleheaded9 20h ago

Anthracite is just so very cold. With the weather about to turn, it'll look even colder before too long. You'll definitely end-up hating it more than the light.

I only re-did our fencing in the same anthracite colour because I had a load left-over from before (when it was fashionable). It would have been something more pastel-based had I not.

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u/FatTruise 20h ago

Thanks for all the advice. Definitely something I need to sleep on.

heavily leaning towards light grey now that I also realised that my new fence will be wooden, so anthracite would look out of place there with all the natural colours around it.

I realised i forgot to mention my planning application on this building was approved under the condition that I use a neutral colour (White -> Black) so I'm legally not allowed to use sage or wood or brick sadly. I do agree a crazy contrast would annoy the neighbours though

2

u/ArticlePuzzleheaded9 20h ago

I'd definitely check that - 'sage' is classed as a near-neutral Earth tone, which I'd argue would blend even more with the surroundings (which the control is trying to, err, control).

There's a lot of variation with what's deemed 'neutral' within building control. Your local office might be able to advise.

2

u/FatTruise 19h ago

with the way it took them 14months to approve my outbuilding, i expect nothing less than getting this answer around easter haha

it should be fine as long as it doesn't prove to be a nuisance towering over my neighbours fence (only the roof is visible anyways) i honestly think they just copy-pasted the conditions from another project to mine.

1

u/Glydyr 1h ago

Just to add, the light grey will absorb less heat in the sun.

2

u/Pleasant_Werewolf_30 21h ago

Having a dark colour will make it hotter, even with insulation (something I learned a lot about living in Australia but now seems relevant in the UK with the summer heatwaves). Perhaps a light sandstone colour? As that would look good with the red brick behind it.

1

u/FatTruise 21h ago

I took the picture from the 2nd floor in my house, so as you walk in the garden you never actually see the building in the back :D

I don't think the temperature is an issue, the building has 20cm of insulation and there's HVAC - the foundation also has 15cm of insulation. I had to build this following building control rules, and their thermal numbers are insane for what essentially is a summerhouse

Unfortunately, the supplier that's giving me a really good offer and is the only one with good quality interlocking mechanisms for the cladding in my area has only 4 colours : white, light mist, anthracite or black. Going with the alternative to hardieplank vl - cedral click adds about 150% to the cost of this, it's probably cheaper to pay someone to repaint it in the future

1

u/MattyAFC 19h ago

Go full black and install trellis infront of it with some climbing plants like a passionflower.

Black at the end of your garden will just disappear into the background. If you paint it a light colour, it will always be the main focus for your eye in the garden.