System Overview

ARBORWALL IS SOLID

Constructed of solid northern white cedar in 6-inch by 6-inch milled "logs," the exterior face is rendered into a clapboard or shiplap profile. The home is then assembled in a time-tested and perfected method of interconnected stacked timbers. Arborwall homes are built with interlocking corners and tongue-and-groove joinery found in fine woodworking. The construction creates a continuous wall of solid cedar timbers around the entire perimeter of the home.

ARBORWALL IS ENERGY EFFICIENT

Northern white cedar provides the highest insulation value of any wood species. In Arborwall solid cedar homes, rigid panel insulation applied to the interior forms continuously insulated mass walls, creating an exceptionally tight energy envelope. By contrast, stick framed construction creates spaces on the exterior walls between the studs, filling the gaps between with insulation. This method creates heat loss, called thermal bridges, which allow energy to escape every 14 - 16 inches on every exterior wall. With Arborwall's solid Northern White Cedar construction and continuoulsy insulated mass walls, the home retains heat in the winter and keeps in cool air during the summer.

ARBORWALL IS SUSTAINABLE

It might seem like building with solid cedar walls is less "green," but northern white cedar is a highly sustainable and abundant crop and the cedar that Arborwall uses is from responsibly managed forests. Northern White Cedar forests stretch across much of northeastern North America, but there are only a few places where it grows in such abundance that it can be harvested sustainably. Maine's vast swathes of cedar forests provide the perfect conditions for sustainable harvest. Our parent company, Katahdin Forest Products, has developed and maintained green practices for nearly 40 years, including recycling wood waste in its biomass boiler to heat mills and warm the drying kiln.

ARBORWALL IS NATURALLY PROTECTED

The unique oils found in Northern White Cedar provide natural protection against insects, mold and rot, permitting dramatic reductions in harmful VOCs that can impact children, seniors and those with respiratory issues or allergies.

ARBORWALL IS BEAUTIFUL

The unique oils found in Northern White Cedar provide natural protection against insects, mold and rot, permitting dramatic reductions in harmful VOCs that can impact children, seniors and those with respiratory issues or allergies.