Our preferred and most popular timber with clients is the stunning Western Redcedar. The latin name Thuja plicata, is commonly called Western or Pacific redcedar, giant or western arborvitae, giant cedar, or shinglewood, is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae native to western North America.
Western Red cedar typically grows in low to mid elevations along the coast and in the wet belt of the Interior, where the climate is cool, mild, and moist. This climate contributes to the timber’s natural protection throughout fire season.
Western red cedar trees begin producing cones between 10 and 20 years of age. Optimal cone crops begin when trees reach 70 to 80 years and can continue for centuries — the species can live for nearly 1,500 years. Red cedar will grow well in soils with high mineral content.
For log homes, these timbers are harvested at around 40 years old. There are many benefits from building a western redcedar log home.
Not only does it have a stunning beauty, the many benefits of Western Redcedar include that it’s a highly revered, durable wood is naturally resistant to rot, decay and insect attacks. Almost anything you build with it will last longer and require less maintenance.
Studies have proven the environmental performance of Western Redcedar far outweighs any synthetic products, in every way. Pre-fabricated building materials generate greenhouse gasses, western red cedar actually removes greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. Western Red Cedar is renewable, biodegradable and is sourced from the most sustainable forests. Cascade Handcrafted Log Homes selectively harvests Western Red Cedar logs for their customer’s log homes.
When a homeowner chooses Western Redcedar over pre-fabricated products, they are building a home that is going to last centuries as wood outperforms steel, concrete and composites.
Drop by the Chilliwack site, request a free quote or call 1-604-703-3452 to speak directly to Markus and he will walk you through the options available to you, whether it is residential, commercial, renovations or custom floor plans, begin the journey towards your wood-based home today.
