British Western Red Cedar is the ideal choice for those where either budget is a deciding factor or you value a locally grown low carbon footprint product.
British Western Red Cedar cladding offers the same durability and ease of working as its Canadian counterpart, although does present a more rustic, knotty finish that is paler and more even in colour.
Ease of sourcing, immediacy of dispatch and consistency of price also favour British Western Red Cedar.
The attractiveness of Canadian Western Red Cedar is its completely clear finish (i.e. no knots and smooth grain), although limited availability of supply, exchange rate fluctuation and the distance travelled to import all make it significantly more expensive than British. What’s more, the cost of Canadian will continue to rise whereas the price of the British alternative will remain low and stable in comparison.
So, in summary, British Western Red Cedar would be the best choice for your cladding project if:
| Family name | Cupressaceae |
| Species name | Thuja plicata |
| Species group | Softwoods |
| Common name | British Western Red Cedar |
| Origin | Well-maintained, sustainable forests in England and Wales |
| Use | Exterior cladding |
| Colour | A uniform colour palette of pink and amber hues, silvering with age if untreated |
| Age | New growth forests 50-100 years old |
| Grading | Knotty |
| Density | 390kg/m3 |
| Durability | 3 – moderately durable |
| Depths | 18mm A discounted 14mm option is available on request |
| Widths | 90mm or 140mm |
| Lengths | 1.8m – 4.8m |
| Availability | Always available |
| Delivery | Free to anywhere in the UK |
Durability is a measurement of how long specific species of timber would last if a 50mm x 50mm cross section was left in the ground unprotected. An untreated Oak beam, which is classed as 'durable’, for example, will last 15-25 years depending on environmental conditions. The following scale of durability was outlined by TRADA, the Timber Research And Development Association.
| Durability | Class designation | Average service life |
| 1 | Very durable | More than 25 years |
| 2 | Durable | 15-25 years |
| 3 | Moderately durable | 10-15 years |
| 4 | Slightly durable | 5-10 years |
| 5 | Not durable | Less than 5 years |
It's worth noting that the width of your cladding will impact the price. Narrow widths result in more waste and additional workmanship so will be slightly more expensive per metre.
We aim to deliver at least 80% of boards at the lengths you have requested. The remainder will be mixed lengths – some longer and some shorter. A request for a high proportion of longer lengths will have a higher cost per metre because of restricted supply. A mixed length order will be the cheapest because of the ease of sourcing.
To keep delivery costs low we conform to standard UK pallet sizes.
Linear metres calculates the total metre run needed for a specific board width to cover a known square meterage. If you are not 100% certain of your calculations we suggest you include wastage at either 5 or 10%.
0% means you plan on having no waste and we will deliver precisely the linear or square meters you require. 5 or 10% wastage gives you a little leeway when trimming your cladding.
If you are unsure of the exact amount of linear or square metres you require we strongly recommend you add a percentage to take account of any 'wastage', otherwise you may not be getting an accurate representation of your costs.
