Driven by the effects of successive confinements and by an increasing appetite among French people to decorate their exteriors, the terrace and wooden cladding markets have experienced a strong surge in recent years driven by more qualitative products with higher value. added.

Wood products are increasingly in demand
Whether for cladding or for terraces, the French are increasingly designing their exteriors using wood. This is also reflected in the latest available market figures, which show double-digit growth since 2019. If the terrace is in the lead with growth of 34% between 2019 and 2021, the cladding is not to be outdone with more than 23% growth over this same period.

Softwoods still very popular
Particularly popular with terrace manufacturers, softwoods still represent the bulk of sales with more than 60% market share. The same goes for cladding sales where Northern fir, Douglas fir, larch, spruce and red cedar remain at the top of the bill for the moment, knowing that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict risks strongly impact the availability of some of these species over the coming months.

Well-treated wood
As for cladding, since the onset of the health crisis we have observed strong demand for autoclave and saturator products, each of which is increasing by more than 30%. In 2019, unfinished cladding represented more than 70% of sales, compared to just under 30% for finished slats. However, sales of finished cladding are increasing due to the increase in cladding with saturators (+145% in volume since 2016). Concerning terraces, 92% of softwood boards receive treatment (autoclave, saturator, thermo-heated, etc.). Among these “treated” products, autoclave softwoods in Scots pine or Douglas fir largely dominate the market (86-87%). Leaving little room for spruce products with saturator (10%) which meet a particular demand for entry-level products. As for the few products without treatment (8% market share), larch remains the species of choice (more than 70%), followed by Douglas fir, which is growing strongly, with sales more than doubling in four years. Finally, note that, although they only represent a very small part of the pie, untreated softwoods could eat up market share in the coming years thanks to an increasingly strong demand for naturally sustainable products.

Great prospects...
If the wooden terrace market currently represents 16 million m2, it could reach 25 million m2 marketed by 2025, benefiting from double-digit growth in the years to come. Today strongly oriented towards treated resinous products, it could leave more market share for more sustainable or more local species. As a result, the offer of local, French or European wooden terraces will be expanded to offer products in line with market demand. Research carried out on still unexploited species will make it possible to develop new widths and new formats which could be used for more decorative layouts, and for the creation of products integrating additional features (non-slip, luminous, etc.). By 2025, the wood cladding market could be around 6,600-6,700,000 m² sold, an increase of 16 to 17% compared to 2019 (before the crisis). For several years, market demand has been moving more and more towards quality products, with higher added value, with an increase in cladding with saturators, tailor-made products (different formats, mixtures of finishes, colors , integration of lights, etc.), skylight or false skylight cladding. Without forgetting an appetite for a more local offering highlighting hardwoods.

... despite some uncertainties
For the terrace, the increase in the price of wood and the supply difficulties for certain exotic woods and especially northern wood (larch) could impact sales of wood products in the months and years to come. The increase in purchase prices began to be passed on to sales prices through distribution in the fourth quarter of 2021, and is expected to continue into 2022. This could slow down the use of wood for certain development projects. For cladding, the strong growth in the market in 2020 and 2021 may not last long. For individuals, home improvement work should return to a normal pace if the health crisis improves sustainably. As a result, demand for cladding is expected to decline this year. For non-residential buildings, the drop in construction starts and building permits should also impact the cladding market by the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023. Finally, like the terrace, tensions on raw materials generating Significant price increases could, in the medium term, call into question the realization of wooden constructions and generate a drop in demand for cladding.

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