Green British Cedar Cladding

Sawn from locally grown trees, green British cedar cladding is a naturally durable and stable softwood with a sawn finish. Green British cedar is ideally suited to rustic barn conversions.

Style

Rustic

Profiles

Feather-edge and square-edge

Source

England and Wales

Beware

Shrinkage

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Green British Cedar Cladding

Green British Cedar Cladding Features

Green (fresh-sawn) British western red cedar is a practical and characterful cladding option, combining the natural performance of cedar with the efficiency of a traditional, low-processing approach. The same species as Canadian cedar, it grows well in the UK, producing boards with a slightly more pronounced grain and a greater proportion of sound knots that give a more textured, natural appearance.

Supplied straight from the saw without drying, green cedar offers a cost-effective solution while retaining all the inherent benefits of the timber. It is particularly well suited to sawn profiles such as feather-edge and square-edge, where its clean cut and workability come into their own.

Despite being unseasoned, British cedar remains relatively stable as it dries in service. It experiences less movement than many other green timbers, helping boards settle evenly over time without excessive shrinkage or distortion.

Sourced from well-managed British woodlands, green cedar keeps both cost and environmental impact down, while delivering a durable, reliable and distinctly natural cladding finish.

For a comparison between British and Canadian cedar watch our video.

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Green cedar cladding specification

Green British western red cedar cladding from Vastern Timber

British western red cedar
Thuja plicata
Legal and well managed forests in England and Wales
Supplied by Vastern Timber (sales@vastern.co.uk)
Grade : Grade B BS1186-3 1990 Class 3 / EN942:2007 J50
Random lengths 1.8mt – 3.6mt, allowing small % down to 1.5mt
Available in feather-edge and square-edge profiles
Supplied Green / wet
Durability EN350-2 Moderately Durable. Class 3
Supplied uncoated. No treatment required.

Characteristics of British western red cedar

Appearance
British western red cedar has a pink to amber colouring with frequent knots. The colouring of British cedar is paler, but more consistent, than its Canadian cousin.

Weathering
When left untreated, cedar will bleach to a silver patina. Because of its relative consistency, British cedar cladding weathers quite evenly. Northerly elevations may weather to a darker grey than those facing South

Desired service life
Occasionally wet 30 yrs. Frequently wet 15 yrs.

Movement class
Medium

Resistance to impact
Low

Working properties
Good workability. Takes fixings satisfactorily. British cedar is soft and relatively brittle which can result in bruising and splintering. No pre-drilling necessary.

Density
330 – 390 Kg / m3

Extractives
Western red cedar contains reactive oils, which will corrode ferrous metals. All fixings used in conjunction with western red cedar must be stainless steel. The brown oil can leave unsightly brown stains on the surface of the cladding and will stain any porous materials below the cladding. The reactivity of the oil makes western red cedar cladding unsuitable for polluted areas.

Installation of green cedar cladding boards

How to fix green cedar cladding
Pre-dril cedar cladding and fix through the face with either stainless steel ringshank nails or trim head screws. Because the boards will shrink considerably, do not attempt to use secret or hidden fixings . Nail guns are an option, although nail heads can be unsightly.

Ensure a suitable overlap (normally 50mm) between following boards.

Recommended batten type for green cedar cladding
Profiled Thermowood or treated softwood battens are recommend behind cedar cladding. The minmimum thickness of primary battens should be 40mm. Horizontal battens to have angled top face to shed water.

Click to find out more about our Thermowood batten system

Batten spacing for external timber cladding
400-500 mm

Fixings for green cedar cladding
Only use stainless steel fixings for external cladding. For green cedar cladding we recommend 65 – 75mm stainless steel ring shank nails.

When to fix green cedar cladding
Only fix green cedar cladding during the autumn and winter months to avoid distortion caused by hot dry weather soon after installation.

Resistance to fixing
Low

Green British cedar cladding profiles

We produce timber cladding to the profile of your choice. View our full range of cladding profiles

We recommend the following profiles for green British cedar.

Disclaimer

While the utmost care has been taken to provide accurate information, Vastern Timber shall not be held responsible for any consequences arising from any errors or omissions on this website nor for any damages resulting from the use of the information.