Greystokes™ International uses the finest grades of tight-knot, Western Red Cedar in all our clients’ home building packages. This superb exterior finishing wood comes to you in a variety of formats and sizes.
The photos of cottages and homes on the Greystokes™ International website required the high-quality Western Red Cedar in order to look and perform the way they do. No wood substitute will accomplish what Greystokes™ International Western Red Cedar provides for you.
All exterior wood surfaces of a Greystokes™ International cottage or home utilize Western Red Cedar, and most are pre-stained, all four sides. Beveled siding, trims, fascias, decking, posts, beams ... even the soffits are Greystokes™ International Western Red Cedar.
Below are some of the inherent qualities and features of Greystokes™ International Western Red Cedar that our clients should be aware of, and realize the value of the package they receive from Greystokes™ International.
Key Benefits:
Dimensional Stability: Western Red Cedar has twice the stability of most commonly available softwoods. The stability is a result of its low density and shrinkage factors. It lies flat, stays straight, and holds fastenings tightly. The low density provides extremely good insulation values.
Workability: Western Red Cedar produces long, lightweight lengths of exterior finishing wood with a beautiful, straight grain and uniform texture that make it easy to cut, saw and nail. These features also contribute to its ability to be planed to a variety of attractive surfaces or machined to any pattern. The lack of pitch and resin allows Western Red Cedar to hold glue bonds from a wide range of adhesives and provide an absorbing base for many types of stains and finishes.
Natural Preservative: Western Red Cedar is one of the world's most durable exterior finishing woods. Natural resistance to moisture, decay and insect damage makes Western Red Cedar the premier choice for exterior home finishes. This is a key aspect of Western Red Cedar that Eastern White Cedar does not provide ... Western Red Cedar is dramatically more resilient than the Eastern species of Cedar.
Cedar fibers in the heartwood contain natural preservatives that are toxic to decay-causing fungi, and a natural insect repellent. The two principal extractives that are responsible for the decay resistance are Thujaplicans and water-soluble phenolics. The tree's ability to produce these extractives increases with age, making the outer regions of heartwood the most durable.
Western Red Cedar is one of the few wood species that are naturally at home in the outdoors. Properly finished, Western Red Cedar will last for decades, even in harsh environments. Its natural resistance to moisture, decay and insect damage make it the ideal choice for a surface that is exposed to sun, rain, heat and cold; all year round. If properly treated, Western Red Cedar will last with low maintenance for decades.
