Cedar wood is an excellent, durable building material that can be used for beams, boards, shingles, decking, or lumber. It is a cost-effective option that will save you money in the long run. Furniture makers rely on it to make attractive and durable pieces, such as foot lockers and chests. The material comes in various hues to meet your aesthetic requirements. Suppliers can deliver it to your desired specifications, allowing you to simplify adding a touch of beauty and style to your property.
Learning about its properties, pros, and cons can help you decide whether to use cedar wood for your project. Let’s go over the details:
Properties
Scientifically known as Juniperus virginiana, cedar timber is versatile for building homes and furniture. You can explore the different sizes by checking with an established and reliable supplier.
Reputable suppliers responsibly harvest cedar wood from managed forests in British Columbia. This way, you are assured of a genuinely reliable resource. They also ship the materials directly to your job site or home.
Cedar timber has unique characteristics and benefits, which make it suitable as a decking material.
- Features – Cedar produces lengthy timber with a fine, straight, and uniform grain and texture, making it easy to saw, nail, or cut with regular building tools. The wood resists splitting, even with fasteners, and it is pitch-free with a heartwood that naturally resists decay. Its low density increases your home’s insulation value.
- Color – Cedar wood typically has a thin layer of light brown or cream sapwood layer. The heartwood ranges from red to deep reddish brown, the perfect hues to accentuate tight knots.
- Hardness – In the Janka Scale of Hardness, cedar is rated at 900.
- Durability – The wood adds structural stability and shock resistance to your structure. The heartwood has extracts that help prevent decay-causing fungi.
- Easy to preserve – Western red cedar wood is durable and does not require preservative treatments.
A few disadvantages
As a softwood, cedar timber may not be as durable as other materials. However, it makes up for that with shock resistance and structural stability. The color of cedar wood can fade over time, but preservative treatments and proper maintenance can prevent that.
About the Author:
Bruce Master is the general manager at Advanced Building Supplies. Advanced Building Supplies, aka ABSWood, specializes in a full line of Brazilian Hardwood products, including Ipe, Garapa, Cumaru, and Tigerwood. Exotic woods is a natural outgrowth for Bruce as he comes from a long line of woodworkers. His Grandfather and Father were both respected wood craftsmen and cabinet makers. In addition to managing ABS, Bruce designs, plans, and installs his own decks. Before selling Brazilian Hardwoods, Bruce worked as a generalist at a huge Ace Hardware in Miami, Florida, that catered to an almost exclusive clientele of contractors working on Miami Beach.
