Specific material planning profile
A naturally durable, visually warm wood whose grade, grain, moisture detailing, finish expectations, and fasteners should be explicit.
How the five-point scale works
The Registry uses this scale to show how much project-specific specification attention a factor deserves for Western red cedar. It is an editorial planning framework, not a laboratory result or product certification. No factors are averaged into an overall grade.
Levels are assigned from two questions: how consequential an unresolved factor could be, and how specific the evidence must be before commitment. They do not predict service life or failure.
Confirm the standard submittal and installation requirements.
Review the factor, but it is unlikely to control the decision by itself.
Give the factor explicit project-specific specification attention.
Resolve the factor before approval because it can materially affect the result.
Require source-, product-, exposure-, or assembly-specific confirmation before commitment.
Specification-attention profile
Every score below belongs to the named factor for Western red cedar. It does not describe the other examples in exterior timber & wood finishes.
End grain, horizontal surfaces, splash zones, ventilation, and drainage govern wetting and drying.
Clear appearance, pigmented protection, weathering, and refinishing expectations involve real tradeoffs.
Grain, defects, extractives, movement, and compatible hardware affect appearance and durability.
Assembly, location, clearances, adjacent fuels, and local requirements matter in WUI conditions.
Before approval
Owner questions
Evidence and limits
These sources support the broader material-system principles. The five-point values are contractor-informed Registry editorial judgments under the published rubric; the sources do not assign those numbers. Current manufacturer literature, project specifications, source-specific test data, and local requirements must govern the actual selection.
Read the Registry methodology →