FAQ About British Western Cedar

Why British Timber?
Durability of Timber?
What is the difference in the types of wood we supply?
Is it necessary to treat your timber with chemicals for preservation?
What fixings should I use?
Can we offer a profiling service.
Can we plane Larch and Cedar.
Which wood shall I use for my flooring?
Do you supply finishing products
Can we deliver.

Q. Why British Timber?
A. It has a low carbon footprint and does not compromise on the quality of the timber. We aim to keep the carbon footprint of the products we produce to a minimum.

Q. Durability Of Timber

Durability

When selecting your timber type for your project it is worth taking in to consideration BS EN 350 timber durability class.

Durability is the ability of a species to resist decay either naturally or through preservatives. The Class is based on the ability of the heartwood (inner part of the tree) to resist fungal decay. The sapwood (the living outermost portion of the tree)is considered not durable and should not be used for external projects without preservative.

BS EN 350 has 5 classes of durability they are:-

Class 1 to 3 can be left as untreated timber, a natural ageing process will accrue e.g. Cedar will turn a grey colour. Class 4 and 5 will need to be treated with preservatives.

For further information see www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/cladding-durability-quality


Q. Is it necessary to treat your timber with chemicals for preservation?
A. No. You do not need to treat Cedar or larch, with a chemical preservative. There are natural oils in the wood that aid in giving them a longer life. Cedar & Larch will turn a silvery colour after a period of time if left untreated. Should you wish to maintain the natural colour of the timber a treatment will be needed, we recommend a Osmo for Cedar, Larch and Douglas Fir please see our Osmo page by clicking here.

Q. What fixings should I use?
A. Because of the natural oils in Cedar & Larch stainless steel fixings must be used. If not used a black line will ruin the face ( black lines) because of the reaction with non stainless steel screws/nails. We can supply fixings.

Q. Can we offer a profiling service.
A. Apart from the standard square edge boards we produce profiled cladding such as tongue and grove. Please ask for the products you require.

Q. Can we plane Larch and Cedar.
A. Yes we offer a planing service with a maximum sizes of 220mm x 120mm (8.5" x 4.5").

Q. Which wood shall I use for my flooring?
A. larch flooring is a great option as it is very durable and also affordable. The main points for using larch as flooring is- it is very resistant to water and it is the hardest of the soft woods, that is why larch is the timber of choice for boatbuilding’s and many other outdoor buildings. Larch comes in many different finishes and exotic shades but if you require a natural larch floor the best way is to purchase an unfinished floor and simple apply a clear oil or lacquer.

Q. Do you supply finishing products?
A. Yes we produce tilting fillets and corner finishing for door and windows. Please ask for details.

Q. Can we deliver?
A. Yes we offer a delivery service to all areas of the UK. We can also offer international deliveries by request. Please see our Delivery Page

Q.What is the difference in the types of wood we supply

Additional Timbers We Supply & Canadian V British Cedar

Canadian Western Red CedarBritish Western Red Cedar

Although the same species (Thuja Plicata) the growing environment in Canada differs vastly from here in the UK and subsequently each country produces a vastly different product.

To simplify the differences -

British Western Red cedar is a consistent honey brown colour and is relatively knotty, perfect for a more rustic "Country" look but Canadian Cedar has a wide range of colours from cream through to red and oak, often on the same length of timber, it has very few knots and lends itself to a more contemporary "Modern" look. Both are suitable for internal or external use.

Canadian and British Cedar can be left untreated and both will "silver/grey" unless a UV oil is applied, please see www.co2cedar.co.uk for Canadian Cedar and for British Cedar please see www.co2timber.co.uk.

Both these timbers are "good to work" i.e., they both machine well and are nice to work with. It is really about the look you want to achieve which normally dictates which type of cedar to use. Both of the Cedars are FSC, PEFC certified (Canadian).

Additional Timbers We Supply

British Larch – Please see www.co2larch.co.uk for details

Is a sustainable and attractive choice for exterior cladding in residential and commercial buildings. Our Larch is FSC Forest Stewardship Council approved timber.

Suitable for many situations where you might use Oak but at a considerable lower price. Larch like Douglas Fir is a good all-rounder. Good for profile cladding (externally and internally), decking, flooring, joinery, furniture work. British Larch is home grown (UK) and traditionally has more live knots than imported larch. The knots adds to its character. It is a fairly straight-grained with strong and clear annual growth rings. The timber has a warm, pale orangey colour, sometimes going into a pale pinkish red. The heartwood is pale reddish-brown to brick-red in colour, sharply distinct from the narrow, lighter coloured sapwood.

Suitable for a traditional or contemporary look, British Larch cladding can provide a durable and attractive solution.

Red Grandis Hardwood – Please see www.grandis.co.uk for details

Eucalyptus Grandis is a part of the Eucalyptus family and commonly known as Rose Gum or Flooded Gum as well as Red Grandis here in the UK. FSC, PEFC and EUTR certified and compliant

Red Grandis is a versatile, fast-growing hardwood. Its colour has variations ranging from pale pink to deep red. A good choice for a clean contemporary "Modern" look.

It lends itself well to both internal and external projects such as Flooring, Decking, Cladding and Fencing.

Red Grandis is plantation-grown in areas of Uruguay.

Make sure all end grain is sealed with a suitable end grain sealer (see our accessories page). The end grain absorbs vastly more moisture than any other surface and therefore must be protected. It is advisable to apply a good quality oil/paint timber treatment suitable for the type of timber being used to all surfaces coloured or clear, this will help to minimise any water ingress and excessive contraction/expansion after installation (See our accessories page).

This is a great timber not only for external cladding and landscaping project such as decking but is easily hard enough for flooring.

Balau – Please see www.co2balau.co.uk for details

Grown in Malaysia Balau has a natural resistance to insects and fungus and is ideal for exterior and interior projects.

Balau is a very hard timber with smooth fine grain and has very few knots. Mainly associated with decking but is also a very worthy timber cladding, fencing & flooring.

FSC, SVLK (Indonesia’s Timber Legality Assurance), FLEGT (a Organisation to combat illegal logging) compliant.

American and British Douglas Fir – Please see www.co2douglasfir.co.uk for details

American Douglas Fir softwood is a light brown to a reddish brown colour with few knots and is harder and more durable than its European Douglas Fir cousin. Our American Douglas Fir is PEFC compliant, our British is FSC certified.

Both can be left untreated and like all timber will “silver/grey” unless a UV oil is applied.

They lends themselves to both internal and external projects such as Flooring, Decking, Cladding and Fencing.

ThermoTimber and Ayous Thermotimber – Please see www.co2thermotimber.co.uk for details

Co2 thermotimber is a thermally modified timber,the modification process improves the properties of the timber making it a environmentally friendly durable timber. Available in softwood (redwood) and Hardwood (Ayous).

Suitable for external and internal cladding projects.

Any additional questions please

call us on 01460 281225 or email
or call us on 01460 281225

or email us
.