Western Red Cedar No. 2 Clear & Better Optima Channel 10 Cladding

Western Red Cedar is synonymous with beauty and durability, thanks to its stunning colour palette and expected service life of 60+ years. The raw material used to produce Silva Select Contractor No. 2 Clear & Better 85/15 Western Red Cedar cladding is sourced from forests in the coastal regions of British Columbia, Canada – an area known for its high quality, fine-grained old-growth logs.

Western Red Cedar Channel cladding looks stunning indoors too, creating a feeling of warmth and luxury on accent walls or feature ceilings. Its excellent dimensional stability makes it perfect for high moisture areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, conservatories, swimming pools, and saunas.

Product Details

• Size: 18x92mm, 18x142mm.
• Grade: No. 2 Clear & Better - 85% / No. 4 Clear - 15%.
• Profile: Optima Channel 10 has a tongue and groove connection and provides deep, bold shadow lines created by the recess.
• Installation: Horizontal or vertical.
• Surface texture: Smooth.
• Moisture content: Kiln-dried at source to 12–15%.

Optima™ Series

The Optima Series is a range of precision machined cladding profiles designed and made by Silva for optimum performance.

Optima profiles feature unique design details that make them easier to install and to help them perform better. Optima profiles also look great – a cut above your average wood cladding.

Optima profiles are produced in 'high performance' wood species and come with a range of neat corner and trim solutions.

Designed to Allow for Movement in the Wood

Wood is a hygroscopic material that takes up and releases moisture according to the temperature and relative humidity of the ambient air. Changes in the moisture content of wood will lead to variations in the dimensions of wood. It will shrink as it releases moisture and expands again as it takes up moisture.

Cladding profiles in the Optima Series feature a substantial overlap where the boards connect to accommodate this natural movement in the wood without exposing a gap.

Optima Features

• Tapered tongue and groove for faster installation.
• Wide fixing area.
• Large area lowers the risk of water ingress.
• 10mm overlap to accommodate movement.
• Hidden fixing.
• 10° bevel on recess creates an attractive profile.

Key Properties

• Colour: Palette of rich, warm wood tones, which vary from light amber to dark reddish-brown.
• Durability: When properly finished and maintained, Western Red Cedar will deliver decades of trouble-free service. It has a decay resistance of durability class 2 (durable) according to the EN 113 standard.
• Stability: Western Red Cedar has excellent dimensional stability because of its low wood density and shrinkage factor. Shrinkage and swelling are minimal, displaying only small movements with changes in humidity.
• Density: The wood of Western Red Cedar is light, weighing 330 to 340 kg/m3 when kiln-dried (12-15% moisture content).
• Thermal properties: Wood generally is an excellent thermal insulator, but Western Red Cedar has a particularly good insulation value because of its low wood density. Its coefficient of thermal conductivity (k) is 0.11 W/m °C at 12% moisture content.
• Acoustic properties: Western Red Cedar is particularly effective when used as interior panelling to dampen vibrations and absorb sound.
• Kiln-dried: Silva Select Western Red Cedar is kiln-dried, giving it many advantages. The process improves dimensional stability, permits the immediate application of a coating, and enables installation with minimal site acclimatisation.
• Grading: Produced from 85% No. 2 Clear & Better / 15% No. 4 Clear Western Red Cedar. The fine-grained wood fibre is harvested from old-growth forests in the coastal regions of British Columbia. Read more about grading and quality here.
• Sourcing/certification: Silva Select Western Red Cedar is sourced from the most sustainably managed forests in the world in British Columbia, Canada, and comes with PEFC certification.

Optional Extras

• Coatings: The application of a coating is necessary to protect the wood and optimise its appearance over time. The coating should be applied to all surfaces, including ends, before installation. Please choose from our wide range of high-performance wood coating systems.
• Western Red Cedar corner solutions: Select from our range of co-ordinating corner trims.
• Western Red Cedar fascia and trim boards: View our range of boards from the Select Prestige VG range. Available in 4 widths, they are perfect for fascia, barge boards, door and window reveals, and many more uses. If you are looking for wider boards, our Cowichan Gold range includes boards up to 286mm in width.

Click here for more detailed information on our full range of Western Red Cedar cladding.