Western Red Cedar Cladding
Local timber cladding using Western Red Cedar
Western Red Cedar (WRC) is has always been a very popular cladding material and with good homegrown sources it is becoming even more so.
The colouring of WRC is a pale pinky brown when Fresh Sawn. The colour darkens uniformly as it dries and, if left unfinished, the colour is lost and it slowly greys to a silver which varies in tone and depth depending on orientation and weathering. At first the sap and heart are contrasting but this contrast will not be visible as it silvers.
Fresh Sawn WRC is best used where a planed finish is not required and the machined profile is fairly simple and does not require especially thin or long dimensions, generally overlapping profiles only.
It is typically available in square-edge, feather-edge and waney-edge boards in dimensions up to 300mm wide and lengths up to 4.0m. Shingles and shakes are also available and can be produced from Fresh Sawn material, whether machine sawn or hand riven. Once sawn, WRC will Air dry to 25-30% within about 4 weeks.
WRC is a moderately durable timber therefore has good lifespan potential. As with all the softwoods, WRC only has small movement in changing moisture levels although it can have moisture retention issues. It is difficult to treat but once the surface has dried it will take an external finish for colour maintenance.
WRC is has low strength properties, is generally soft and fairly brittle and light when dry with a density of around 390kg/m³ (12% moisture content).
We have a cladding price sheet that details some standard sizes for F/S cladding and the guide prices to match, these are good for a rough idea but we would advise you contact us for a firm quote on your requirements. Generally the softwoods cost less than the hardwoods.
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