Cedar

Also called: western red cedar, redcedar, lebanon cedar, cedar of lebanon, yellow cedar

Cedar is a group of woods used for posts, shingles, boats, furniture and cabinetwork, with each kind differing in colour, texture and durability.

Different cedars, different jobs

Eastern and southern redcedar are used in large quantities for fence posts. Northern white-cedar is used for poles and posts, outdoor furniture, shingles, cabin logs, water tanks, boats and wooden ware, while yellow-cedar is used for interior woodwork, furniture, small boats, cabinetwork and novelties. Port Orford cedar is hard, strong and durable, and is used for boat-building, fencing and flooring.

Grain, colour and scent

The heartwood, the darker inner part of a tree, varies widely between cedars. On western red cedar, the fibres commonly run in one consistent course, while the surface has a comparatively open texture. Port Orford cedar has a similarly regular fibre direction but a finer surface. Eastern redcedar is recognisable by a strong cedar-chest aroma and a purplish-red heartwood, while freshly cut Alaska-cedar has yellow heartwood and a smell often compared with raw potatoes.

Outdoor and cabinet work

Western red cedar has traditionally been used for exterior wall boarding without preservative or finish. Exposure conditions can shorten the life of that cladding, meaning the boards fixed to a building's outside walls, so protective treatment may be appropriate in a difficult climate. With Western red cedar, use copper or aluminium nails: contact with iron-containing nails can cause rust and dark staining in the wood. Some kinds of Havana cedar exude gum, leaving a sticky surface that makes them unsuitable for certain cabinet work.

Moth protection

The scent of cedar is also used in moth-proof chests, storage chests intended to deter moths. The aroma is useful for that purpose, but it does not make every cedar species interchangeable, so identify the particular wood before choosing it for a structural or finished part.