Arborvitae – “Tree of Life”
Western Red Cedar is normally a fine-grained wood which exudes an aromatic odour, especially when freshly cut. In weight it is one of the lightest of the world’s valuable woods. It is characterised by a complete absence of pitch or resin. Its resistance to decay under most conditions results from the presence of natural preservative oils, some of which are phenolic compounds. It is also naturally resistant to termite and insect attack.
It has a seemingly endless variety of distinctive grains and textures coupled with natural colour tones ranging from light straw through buff and warm red to the occasional deep brown.
The Aristocrat of External Wall Coverings
The advantages of using Western Red Cedar as a wall covering are,
- Long life, insulation and greatly increased structural strength
- The long life of Western Red Cedar is legendary
- Insulation is a special benefit of the peculiar cellular structure
Under the microscope Western Red Cedar reveals millions of tiny air-filled insulating cells. Western Red Cedar has a K-factor 12 times better than bricks.
Why Build In Wood?
Wood is important,
- About half its weight is carbon
- Carbon is only released as carbon dioxide when the wood decays or is burnt
- It is a renewable resource
- This makes wood carbon positive and offsets greenhouse gas emissions
- This may help climate change