Articles
Insights and updates on Japanese cedar, yakisugi and building with timber in New Zealand.
Clear or Traditional: the two grades of Sugi cedar
Sugi natural cedar products are now supplied in two grades: Clear and Traditional. Both are the same timber, imported Japanese Cedar heartwood milled in Tauranga, and both carry…
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How Sugi cladding is detailed for movement
Timber cladding moves with the seasons. How much Japanese Cedar weatherboards move in New Zealand conditions, and the four details that keep boards flat.
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Charred timber cladding: what yakisugi is and how Sugi makes it
Charred timber cladding, known in Japan as yakisugi, is made by charring Japanese Cedar. The three Sugi finishes, what the char does, and how to specify it.
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Choosing a weatherboard profile: vertical shiplap, bevelback or horizontal shiplap
The three Sugi Japanese Cedar weatherboard profiles compared: what each looks like, how it sheds water, how it handles movement, and where it suits.
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What is sugi timber?
Sugi is Japanese Cedar, Cryptomeria japonica: a light, durable, plantation-grown softwood used in Japan for centuries and now milled in Tauranga for New Zealand cladding, panelling and screens.
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