Western Red CedarThuja plicataPlease visit http://www.wrcea.org/ for further information

Please click on the images above to enlarge

We work very hard to ensure we maintain a strong relationship with our Canadian supplier.

This ensures the Cedar we supply is of the very best quality at the lowest cost.

Please ask for our grade 2 with 15% grade 4 clear.

This offers the very best value clear cedar cladding .

Grade 2 clear & better

This grade is the clearest grade usually available in the UK

We also cut grade 4 clear as an economical alternative while still giving a general clear appearance - we can also do any mix of the two grades.

All our Cedar is prime coastal grown.

Please contact us for prices & further information.

We can cut any Profile.

We hold large stocks of 100, 150 & 200mm wide

Boards ready to cut to order

Please refer to our common profiles page

The Tree & Forrest

Western red cedar grows along the pacific coast from Northern California to southwest Alaska. The tree grows up to 60M in height & 2.4M diameter. British Columbia has an estimated standing volume of 750 million cubic M, over 50 million cubic M is in parks or protected areas.

Less than 1% of British Columbia’s growing stock is harvested each year. The amounts harvested each year must be within the Annual Allowable Cut, the volume of timber that the chief Forester determines can be sustainably harvested is regulated. After logging areas must be reforested with mixed species. Variable retention is a system which requires leaving the forest structure intact, groups of trees are often left un harvested. About 8 million seedlings are planted in British Columbia alone.

Physical properties of Western Red Cedar Timber

Sapwood is white with a slight yellow tinge. The sapwood width is typically 22mm thick

Heartwood is variable in colour ranging from light straw, pinkish brown to dark brown.

Western red cedar is very light in weight

Kiln dried : 330 to 340kg/m3 (6-8%)

Air dried : 370 to 385kg/m3 (12% moisture)

Green : 430 to 535kg/m3

Western red cedar has excellent dimensional stability which means it shrinks & swells minimally in service due to changes in humidity. Western red cedar also resists absorption of moisture – in a test dried timber at 6-10% moisture content was left covered outside for one year & found to have a moisture content of 9-11% which then remained constant.

Coefficient of thermal conductivity (k): 0.11 W/m/degC @ 12% moisture content

Charing rate: 0.8mm/min

Flame spreading rate: 67-73 (class 11 rating)

Smoke developed rating: 98

Fixing & drying

Western red cedar reacts with ferrous materials & should therefore be fixed with stainless steel or hot dipped galvanised fixings.

The timber should be dried to match the service conditions, internal applications should be kiln dried to 6-8%

Durability

Western red cedar heartwood is naturally durable when left untreated & is in the highest durability category of any softwood listed in the European standard. . 60 year service life untreated can be expected.

Treatment is only necessary if the weathered silver grey colour is not desired.

Applications

Western red cedar is a sustainable resource which is particularly suitable for architectural timber & decking. The attractive rich colours & grain, durability, & physical properties make it the first choice for window blinds, saunas, panelling, cladding & mouldings.

Treatment

Western red cedar will quickly weather to a silver grey colour. If this is not desired then treat with a Alkyd resin based stain.

Phone Sales : 07800662931

Accounts : 01494 435144

Fax: 08712369322

Click here to e mail: sales@benchmarkdesigns.co.uk