Properties
Cedar is a highly revered, durable wood that’s naturally resistant to rot, decay and insect attacks.
Western Red Cedar is pitch and resin-free, which means it’s ideal for accepting and holding a wide range of beautiful finishes including elegant dark stains, shabby chic bleaches, traditional solid colors and naturally beautiful semi-transparents. Western Red Cedar also offers a wide range of lumber dimensions, surface textures and grades so it works in many different applications.
Uses
While the most popular uses of cedar are decking, siding and outdoor structures, such as pergolas and gazebos, you can enhance the beauty and elegance of your home with cedar molding, windows, doors, posts, beams, paneling, interior projects like feature walls, saunas, and almost anything else you dream up. You can even use cedar for acoustic insulation, as cedar walls and ceilings provide sound insulation necessary to quiet rooms.
Because cedar is pitch and resin free, the wood easily accepts a range of finishes, from fine oils and stains to solid coatings and paint. And the natural compounds that give this wood its fine scent also make it resistant to rot, decay and insect attacks, so it’s low maintenance.
Due to its low density, Western Red Cedar is a natural thermal insulator, which can help keep energy costs in check.
Appearance
Imbued with decidedly crisp yet superbly rich tonal properties, real cedar can create sublime outdoor sanctuaries, embolden traditional home decor, provoke cutting-edge architecture and inspire innovative interiors.
Cedar complements any architectural design – from turn-of-the-century to contemporary. It has richly textured grain with colors ranging from mellow ambers to reddish cinnamons and rich sienna browns. Its warm coloring is complemented by a uniform, fine-grained texture with a satin luster.
Sustainability
Western Red Cedar is renewable, recyclable, biodegradable and harvested from some of the most sustainably managed forests in the world.
Cedar species readily propagate, though in recent years there has been a strong emphasis on planting. An average of 8.0 million seedlings are planted each year on the coast, where cedar thrives. As forests regenerate, they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen as they grow, resulting in fewer greenhouse gases. Western Red Cedar is considered a desirable tree species for reforestation due to low numbers of insect pests, tolerance to wet soils and flooding and shade tolerance.
Resources
Western Red Cedar Lumber Association:
“Real Cedar 101” video
Western Red Cedar YouTube Channel