When shopping around for building materials for the external cladding of your home, you will come across a vast selection of options. From new-age options in the form of fibre cement to more traditional solutions such as natural stone, your choices are seemingly endless! But this wide array of building materials can make it challenging to narrow down your options since each supply offers a unique set of advantages. But one material that is garnering interest among the latest crop of homeowners is western red cedar. Although softwood timber species have not always been associated with durability, this species stands out due to the range of advantages that it offers in both interior and exterior construction. This article focuses on the properties of western red cedar that make it ideally suited to cladding applications.

Surprising durability

When you think of durable timber, your mind most likely envisions hardwood timber and this has been the case for decades past. However, in recent times, more and more people are noticing that western red cedar offers a competitive edge against these traditional hardwood timbers. Firstly, this building material is not vulnerable to warping and other forms of physical damage due to Australia's climatic changes. Therefore, while the pre-treatment is advisable when utilising timber for cladding, it is not mandatory when you choose to employ western red cedar. This superior durability that it offers can be attributed to the timber's innate chemical composition that works to keep it safe from moisture damage, rot and even pests.

Remarkable sustainability

Timber is not a building material that is often associated with sustainability since a good number of people automatically think of deforestation. And while deforestation is a real threat that many tracts of land face, it is not the case when you opt for responsibly harvested western red cedar. Due to how functional a building material it is, this species is grown for the primary purpose of sourcing lumber from it. Consequently, western red cedar is considered a renewable resource. In addition to this, this timber species is renowned for how beneficial it is to the environment since it has an astounding ability to limit the volume of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Fire resistance

If you reside in a location that is vulnerable to bush fires, sourcing building materials for your property can be an arduous process since you need to factor in the fire resistance that they will offer. This is particularly important when it comes to cladding, as it will act as an initial defence for the structure. Another extraordinary benefit of western red cedar is that this species offers a degree of fire resistance. While it will not score as high as its metal counterparts will, you can make the most of this resistance by integrating additional safety measures into your residential structure.

For more information, contact a building materials supplier in your area.