08 May The top 8 reasons to buy a cedar shed

The truism “you can’t improve on nature” may not always apply to building materials, however it’s still very hard to go past wood for its strength, versatility, ease of use, and visual appeal.

When it comes to putting something in your garden – be it furniture or a small, stand-alone structure – something made of wood just looks right atop the grass and amongst the plants.

By far the preferred wood for garden sheds, storage sheds, and especially sheds people work in is cedar. And there are some very good reasons for that.

1.    Cedar is a very durable timber

Cedar contains natural preservatives that make it resistant to insect damage, decay, and harsh weather conditions. Canadian Western Red Cedar also has outstanding dimensional stability – meaning it resists warping and shrinkage – which is essential for a timber product to maintain its shape during its life, especially when used outdoors.

2.    Cedar is termite resistant

Termites might be persistent little beggars, but they’re smart enough to stay away from cedar because the naturally-occurring oils are toxic to them. Some other insects are repelled by the natural aroma of cedar (which is why it’s also often used for storage trunks and closets).

3.    Cedar is beautiful

Maybe beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we’ve yet to hear anyone say: “that’s really beautiful plastic you’ve used to make that”. Show them a high-quality cedar shed, on the other hand, and some stand back and admire while others are drawn toward it to touch the beauty! A cedar shed adds to the aesthetics of any garden and, by extension, the value of a property.

4.    Cedar has great thermal insulation qualities

Western Red Cedar is an excellent thermal insulator, outperforming brick, concrete and steel. By resisting the extremes of temperature, it keeps the garden or hobby enthusiast warm in winter and cool in summer.

5.    Cedar is aromatic

Not only is the natural fragrance of cedar very pleasant, the fact that is doesn’t need to be treated with any preservative chemicals or waterproofing agents makes it much nicer on the nose, particularly if you’re going to be spending a lot of time in your shed.

6.    Cedar is easy to work with

It’s lightweight but strong, has a fine, straight grain and uniform texture, and is resistant to splitting, so it’s easy to add shelves, screw in tool hangers, and generally make whatever modifications and additions suit your needs. Plus, it provides an excellent base for all types of paints and stains.

7.    Cedar sheds come with floors

There’s no need to lay down a concrete slab because you can get a cedar shed that comes with a heavy-duty floor, for uneven surfaces, or a rebated floor if your ground is level.

8.   Cedar sheds are easy (and quite fun) to assemble

For some of us, part of the appeal of getting a shed is that we get to put it up ourselves. Our Stilla cedar sheds come in panel form – and we’ve made those panels smaller to make them easier to transport and handle – so you simply need to screw the panels together.

Those are our top eight reasons to buy a cedar shed, but there are others, such as the added attraction of our colonial-style doors and the fact that noise is contained and reduced by the acoustic properties of cedar.

Find out all about Stilla’s cedar shed range here and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.