Western Red Cedar - quick facts you may not know
We’re passionate about Western Red Cedar, because it’s what do we. We know it inside and out and have seen the beautiful and durable uses of cedar for both indoor and outdoor projects.
We want others to discover the wonders of cedar too – and we’re here to help. If you want to learn more about the benefits, properties, and features of Western Red Cedar, you’re in the right place.
Did you know…
Western Red Cedar timbers have straight grain, which makes it easy to work with. Wood with grain that runs in one direction is easier to cut, drill, and nail, while maintaining structural strength and a smooth texture.
Cedar has strong dimensional stability due to that straight grain, along with the fact that it is has a very low shrinkage factor and a strong resistance to warping, twisting, and checking. It’s actually the most stable softwood species. It has also a natural resistance to moisture and pitch, making cedar the preferred option for projects in which aesthetics and resistance to weather are key factors.
Heartwood also has a natural resistance to decay due to fungal components in the wood called thujapicins. This makes cedar a long-term and low-maintenance solution in most situations.
Western Red Cedar is a renewable natural resource.
Cedar is an excellent thermal insulator – it keeps buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winters, directly resulting in cost savings. It all comes back to its density. Cedar is a low-density wood, meaning it contains a high proportion of cell cavities. In dry wood, these cavities fill with air, which is one of the best thermal insulators. Cedar specifically has a low density compared to most species, and is far superior to other building materials such as brick, concrete, and steel in terms of thermal conductivity.
It’s also lightweight due to this low density, making it easy to transport and handle. Once dried, cedar is approximately 21 pounds per cubic foot.
Cedar has outstanding acoustical properties. Due to cedar’s cellular structure, it has more sound damping capacity than most structural materials. Cedar is especially effective at sound insulation and absorption when used for floor, ceiling, and wall applications. This can be useful in reducing noise, or confining it to a certain area – giving you peace of mind.
It’s easy to finish. Cedar products last a long time, and that lifespan can be extended even further with the right finish. Thankfully, cedar easily takes on exterior paints, stains, and bleaches, along with interior varnishes, oils, and waxes to keep your project looking sublime for its duration.
It’s better for the environment than other building materials due to the energy needed to manufacture and dispose of the products. Given that cedar is biodegradable and recyclable, there should be no surprise, but here are the facts – using cedar results in lower greenhouse gas emissions, lower air pollution, lower water pollution, and lower solid waste by-products compared to steel and concrete. In addition, wood products also last longer than these alternatives, making it the superior choice in nearly every situation.
Wood is also the only major building material that is renewable. Western Red Cedar primarily comes from sustainably managed forests in British Columbia (BC), Canada. BC has stringent forestry protections, including regulations that ensure 3 saplings are planted for each tree harvested, and limiting the annual amount of land forested to less than 1% each year. There’s a reason that BC forests are still so abundant after over 150 years of harvesting, and is set up for future success for generations to come.