Industry Solutions

Factory-Finished Timber Cladding: Bringing Coating In-House

Graeme Thomas

Factory-Finished Timber Cladding: Bringing Coating In-House

Control quality, cut lead times, and capture the margin you're currently paying to subcontractors.

The Case for In-House Coating

Many timber cladding manufacturers outsource their coating to specialist finishers. This made sense when the only options were spray booths or curtain coaters — both requiring significant investment, space, and expertise. But vacuum coating technology changes the equation.

A compact vacuum coating line occupies a fraction of the floor space, runs with a single operator, and delivers factory-grade four-side coating at production speed. For cladding manufacturers, this means bringing a high-margin process step in-house without the traditional barriers to entry.

Benefits of In-House Coating

Quality Control

Inspect every board before dispatch. No more returns from subcontractors with inconsistent film builds or missed back faces.

Lead Time Reduction

Eliminate the 2–4 week round-trip to external finishers. Coat and dispatch from a single facility.

Margin Capture

Keep the coating margin in-house. The difference between raw and factory-finished cladding is typically 30–50% of sale price.

In-House Coating ROI

30–50%
Price Premium

Factory-finished vs raw cladding

2–4 Weeks
Lead Time Saved

Eliminated subcontractor round-trip

12–18 Months
Typical Payback

On a complete coating line

Combined Coating Line

The VC6 vacuum coater paired with the DS6 infrared drying tunnel creates a complete coat-and-cure line for cladding production. Boards enter unfinished, exit dry and stacked — ready for dispatch.

The combined line is designed for a single operator and fits into a surprisingly compact footprint.

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We'll help you build the numbers for in-house coating — volumes, costs, payback, and floor plan.

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