Let’s begin with the basics.

Durability and lifespan

While it may be a softwood, the natural oils and unique properties within Western Red Cedar make it more than capable of outperforming many hardwoods, mainly because it’s not prone to warping and movement like hardwoods can suffer if not handled with care and knowledge. Due to this, it’s classed as a highly durable timber with an exceptional life expectancy of 50 years+ when used externally. It’s naturally resistant to all things harmful like decay, fungi and unwanted pests, preventing the wood from rotting. Ultimately, as an exterior cladding option, it’s a perfect choice as the wood will thrive in the outdoors with little maintenance needed to preserve it.

Workability

It’s important for any cladding material to be easy to work with, and Western Red Cedar is no exception to this rule. In fact, its widely commended for its adaptable nature, being that it’s a lightweight timber and machines well. Because of its low density and shrinkage factors, it’s incredibly stable as the product presents minimal shrinkage and expansion in response to changes in moisture. It’s important to note that once you’ve received your timber cladding, the timber should be separated and acclimatised for a few days prior to installation to ensure the moisture content is stable. Some batches may take longer as some are wetter than others, and the length of time will also be impacted by factors such as temperature and airflow. You’ll also find Western Red Cedar Cladding is easy to fit as they all come with an interlocking profile.

Appearance

A large part of what makes Western Red Cedar so desirable is simply the way it looks. It generally ranges from a light, golden, mid to dark brown with an occasional rich, reddish tint. Its grain is clean as it’s straight and even, with very minimal knots and a medium to rough texture. There’s this unmatched golden, summer hue to Western Red Cedar when the sun bounces off of it that just radiates colour. Even unfinished, the beautiful, weathered grey gives an ‘at-one-with-nature’ feel to it that accentuates the colours the plants surrounding it. It’s these qualities that gives Western Red Cedar its outstanding aesthetic appeal.

Sustainability

This particular wood type is excellent at removing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. On top of this, it’s both renewable and biodegradable which makes it undoubtedly an environmentally friendly timber. Its harvesting is highly sustainable as all our Western Red Cedar is PEFC Certified, and this guarantees it's been sourced legally from responsibly managed forests.

Fire resistance

As well as all the fundamentals, you’ll find Western Red Cedar to be remarkably fire resistant, with a low flammability rate and reluctancy to igniting or spreading flames. So, if you’re in need of a material that’s reasonably flameproof, Western Red Cedar should be your first choice.

While there are many different cladding materials, its fair to say Western Red Cedar has justifiably obtained a superior name for itself. But, as you’ve probably guessed, all its excellent properties have a rising effect on its cost, making it one of the pricier materials. If budgeting is an issue for you, it might be worth exploring some of our cheaper alternatives like Douglas Fir. Nevertheless, our levels of stock for Western Red Cedar cladding are second to none, with various lengths and sizes available, there’s plenty to go around.

Browse through our Western Red Cedar cladding now and discover for yourself what makes it so special.