Friday 28 January 2011

The Advantages of Red Cedar Garden Sheds

The Advantages of Red Cedar Garden Sheds

The real advantage of Western Red Cedar timber is it contains its own natural timber preservative.  With it pleasing odour it repells insects, moths and vermin.  It also is a very stable timber which makes it very resilient to changes in climate. 

What is Western Red Cedar Timber?
If you have been looking for a garden shed for some time and are not happy with the cheap mass produced garden sheds that flood the market, due to there poor quality and finish of them.  If you are looking for quality that lasts, looks attractive and forms a forcal point in your garden then a Western Red Cedar Garden Shed in for you! 
Western Red Cedar is an attractive timber but it also has an unrivalled reputation for durability. It is ideal for use in the construction of sheds and other garden buildings. The superior qualities of Western Red Cedar are summed up in this extract from the grading rules published by The Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau as follows.
The Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau:
“The largest and finest of the cedars produced anywhere in the world, the Western red cedar is famed for its extraordinary durability and resistance to decay. Western red cedar is a distinct species, possessing all the desirable qualities of the other cedars, and additional advantages besides. It can be finished to a smooth, silky finish; it is free from pitch, it takes and holds stains and paints excellently, and has superior glueing properties. Its colour is extremely attractive, varying from almost pure white of the narrow sapwood to the light straw shade of dark reddish-brown of the heartwood. The wood of Western red cedar has a vey low coefficient of expansion, so that it does not shrink, swell or warp excessively, even when subjected to changing degrees of temperature and moisture. It has prime insulating qualities and its pleasing aromatic odour is repellent to moths, insects and vermin. The wood is saturated to every fibre with a natural preservative oil which renders it virtually immune to decay and gives it extreme durability without artificial preservative treatment. It is not necessary to paint cedar to preserve its surface, as it does not deteriorate appreciably even under severe climatic changes.”
The Uses The western redcedar has been called "the cornerstone of Northwest Coast aboriginal culture," and has great spiritual significance. Coastal people used all parts of the tree. They used the wood for dugout canoes, house planks, bentwood boxes, clothing, and many tools such as arrow shafts, masks, and paddles. The inner bark made rope, clothing, and baskets. The long arching branches were twisted into rope and baskets. It was also used for many medicines.
The wood is naturally durable and light in weight. It is used for house siding and interior paneling as well as outdoor furniture, decking and fencing. Because of its resistance to decay and insect damage, the wood of large, fallen trees remains sound for over 100 years. Even after 100 years, the wood can be salvaged and cut into shakes for roofs.
Source - http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/westernredcedar.htm

You can buy bespoke Western Red Cedar at Heritage Garden Buildings 

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