Gladding for Greative Tastes & Gustomized Needs

A building's exterior is its first and lasting impression on visitors and passersby. It also serves as a first line of defense against the elements. Done well and utilizing timeless materials, its cladding can create a classic look that stands out while adding value.

Western red cedar is one such material. Its ageless sophistication and elegance perfectly infuse natural beauty, warmth and inspired design that complements any architectural style.

Although modern science has given us many synthetic Products that try to mimic the look of wood, solid woods like western red cedar still remain a favorite choice. With routine care, wood siding will our last synthetic siding materials while radiating the real wood warmth and appearance.

Many resources are available at wrcla.org to help generate ideas and inform the materials selection process for the professional and doit-yourself homeowner. But there are several key factors to consider when choosing cedar as a siding material.

Beauty. Above all, western red cedar has an enduring beautY that enhances the style of any building. Many cedar-sided houses built centuries ago still look beautiful today and have been prized because of their innate resistance to both moisture and insects.

Wood siding is available in many options and finishes to fit the lifestyle of any building and effortlessly add warmth to both monolithic and modern structures.

Durability. As is true with most materials, the most sustainable siding products are those that last the longest. Choosing a material that is both durable and suitable for your region's climate will help reduce maintenance and repair costs, extend the life of a home, and keep old materials from filling up the local landfill.

Westem red cedar is a wood with great dimensional stability and natural decay resistance. Free of pitch and resin, it provides an excellent base for a wide range of finishes. Paired with vapor barriers and building paper, and installed on the outside face of the wall sheathing, cedar provides a tight, natural barrier that prevents outside moisture from getting into the wall cavity while allowing moisture vapor to escape.

Usability. To add to the ease of cedar siding installation, wood clapboards can also be stained rather than painted to minimize peeling. Western red cedar siding comes in many different patterns and grades-such as bevel, board and batten, channel, and tongue-andgroove-to match style and budget and accommodate creative tastes and customized needs.

Sustainability. while some siding products are still being manufactured from trees harvested from old-growth forests, Western red cedar is the only Forest Stewardship Council-certified siding. Cedar is also made from a renewable resource, uses less energy to manufacture than more highly processed synthetic materials, and results in very little waste because various industries make use of all the scrap wood.

Choosing a material that combines aesthetic appeal, versatility and durability delivers the greatest value, especially when care is taken for proper application.

Installation and maintenance of western red cedar siding is easy and the finished product produces a great result. The wood's durability wanns up a building with a clean, rich look and ageless style.

By Randy Engh, B.C. Shake & Shingle Association