Canadian Cedar will give you a greater depth and range of colours with a clear, flawless finish with minimal to no imperfections, whereas British Cedar will give you a more consistent, paler colour with varied grain and knots for a more natural look. Both woods ‘silver’ with age unless a treatment is applied.
British Cedar is approximately 50% of the cost of Canadian Cedar and is not subject to price fluctuation due to changes in exchange rate or availability of supply. Prices of Canadian Cedar have been increasingly recently with the trend predicted to continue upwards, making British Cedar the ideal choice for the budget conscious.
Our Cedar is sustainably sourced according to internationally recognised standards. British Cedar is the most environmentally friendly for the UK market. It is faster growing, locally sourced and has a low carbon footprint associated with the harvesting, processing and delivery compared to Canadian Cedar.
| 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 |
| Family name | Cupressaceae |
| Species name | Thuja plicata |
| Species group | Softwoods |
| Common name | Canadian Western Red Cedar |
| Origin | Well-maintained, sustainable forests on the Pacific Coast of British Columbia, Canada |
| Use | Exterior cladding |
| Colour | A varied colour palette ranging from dark reddish-brown to light amber with occasional pink highlights, silvering with age if untreated |
| Age | Old growth forests >150 years old |
| Grading | #2 clear and better with 15% #4 as standard. Clear, #2 clear and better, #4 clear available on request |
| Density | 390kg/m3 |
| Durability | 2 – 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.
