Western Red Cedar - The Story.
Monday 15th June 2020.
Western Red Cedar (Thuja Plicata) trees are among the most widespread species in the Pacific Northwest growing up to 70m tall and 7m in trunk diameter. Products manufactured from Western Red Cedar are valued for their natural resistance to decay, their distinct aroma, and their stunning natural variation in colour with tones ranging from light yellow to dark red and chocolate browns.
Western Red Cedar trees are felled in sustainable forests in British Columbia. Once harvested the logs are trucked out of the forests and dropped into the Fraser River in bundles held together by chains or metal wire.
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Western Red Cedar is a naturally buoyant timber. Once logs are floating in the river they are bundled into large booms. Booms are a floating barrier which hold together large bundles of logs in the water.
Booms are then tugged by small boats downstream to sawmills on the banks of the river.
Once the boom arrives at the sawmill logs are lifted out of the water, trimmed to manageable sizes, de-barked and then carefully selected based on their quality/yield.
The logs are then dimensioned (sawn to large section sizes) and manually or mechanically graded based on appearance.
Stock is then re-manufactured into smaller desirable rough sawn dimensions, grades and lengths suitable for the worldwide markets.
Western Red Cedar stock then travels over 5000miles to reach our yard!
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The next chapter of manufacturing takes place in our hi-tech machining facility in Wigan where over time we have built a reputation to offer the best machined Western Red Cedar products available to the UK market.
All Western Red Cedar stock has been on an interesting journey before reaching the hands of a joiner for installation. Each process increasing its worth.
Prowood Ltd stock between 2000-2500m³ of rough sawn Western Red Cedar and we believe every single piece is extremely valuable and has its own story to tell.
All Cedar imported into the UK by Prowood Ltd carries PEFC environmental certification to show that logs have been harvested in a responsible manner and in accordance with the prevailing laws of the land.
