Western Red Cedar cladding is a popular finish on many garden offices, particularly contemporary garden offices where cedars clear grain and subtle colouring enhance the contemporary feel.
Although Western Red Cedar can be sourced from forests in the UK, the bulk of Western Red Cedar used in garden office construction is grown along the pacific coast from Northern California to Southwest Alaska; British Columbia alone has an estimated 750 million cubic meters of Western Red Cedar trees. A Western Red Cedar tree can grow up to 60m high and can have a diameter of 2.4m.
The amount of Western Red Cedar that is cut each year is strictly regulated, in British Columbia the chief forester determines how much is cut each year, but typically less than 1% of British Columbia’s Western Red Cedar is cut each year. When trees are cut it’s in such a way that groups of trees are left untouched and areas are reforested with seedlings.
Western Red Cedar is an excellent choice for garden office cladding as it is a dimensionally stable wood, which means it swells and shrinks minimally in response to humidity, so gaps won’t appear in the cladding. Western Red Cedar is also a good cladding because it has natural resistance to moisture absorption.
Western Red Cedar used for garden office cladding is often moulded into a tongue & groove profile which is particularly appropriate for contemporary designs as it is a flat profile with a simple ‘v’ groove between the boards. Western Red Cedar T&G cladding can be fixed both vertically and horizontally. Western Red Cedar interacts with ferrous materials so it is important that it is fixed with stainless steel or hot dipped galvanised fixings.
Western Red Cedars heartwood is a naturally durable material and can be left untreated; its rich brown and red colours will weather to a silver grey, if this is not desired Western Red Cedar cladding can be treated with an Alkyd based resin.
Western Red Cedar has a life expectancy in excess of 60 years and it is categorised as one of the most durable softwoods.
Western Red Cedar is a very light weight material which makes it quick to install so, for speed of installation, durability and its aesthetic properties Western Red Cedar is the perfect cladding for a garden office.
