You need lumber for your construction project and you have decided on cedar. You might think the buying process would be simple from here on: go to the building supply store and buy some cedar, right? Not so fast, buddy. There is actually more to cedar than you might think.
Western red cedar and indoor red cedar are two similar but not identical wood products on the market. So if you’re a cedar beginner, here’s a Cedar 101 crash course for you.
1. Know their background
The scientific name for western red cedar is Thuja plicata. It is a variety of softwood that grows in the western US and Canada, known for its extreme durability, natural preservatives, and of course its untreated beauty. The innate characteristics of Western Red Cedar make it ideal for premium cedar siding, decking, shingles and shingles.
Even once you’ve decided that Thuja plicata is what you need for your construction project, there are still a few things you need to know. Most of the western red cedar comes from British Columbia, western Washington, and western Oregon. However, some western red cedar grows further inland as well. You’ll find it on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, in Idaho, Montana, as well as parts of Alberta and eastern British Columbia.
The cedars of the easternmost and higher elevation forests are still Thuja plicata, the same botanical species as the cedars that grow to the west, but there are differences in the wood. In fact, the two varieties are sometimes processed, classified and even labeled differently: wood from trees growing in coastal forests as “Western Red Cedar”, wood from trees growing further east as “Inland Red Cedar “.
Now that you know the background to these woodland wonders, here are things to consider when trying to determine which type to buy.
2. Take a closer look
Paul Mackie is the Western Area Manager for the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association, but he also responds to “Mr. Cedar” for his ability to answer questions about cedar.
Mackie said that while botanists may not make a scientific distinction between trees that grow inland and trees that grow on the coast, you’ll see a visual difference if you examine both types side by side.
“Inland fiber is different from coastal materials,” he said. “The interior grain will be lighter, it will have a striped appearance and the percentage of white will be much lower.”
Cedar decking and siding specialists seeking the highest quality products source their western red cedar from trees grown in the coastal climate. These coastal trees are gigantic, growing up to 200 feet tall and over 10 feet in diameter. Its native habitat is from sea level to about 4,000 to 5,000 feet in elevation, and in warmer and more humid conditions than the cedars that grow on the other side of the mountains. They also offer a more diverse appearance.
“In the coastal fiber, you will see a wide range of colors on the tree,” Mackie said. “It will have everything from a dark chocolate to a light straw color, and all those colors can appear within the same piece.”
3. Does size matter?
Larger coastal cedars also tend to have a higher percentage of the “see-through” grade material from which the best quality cedar siding, cedar battens, and large beams are made. In higher altitude regions and drier climates, Inland Red Cedar just doesn’t get that big. If you need large diameter rafters or rafters, they will have to come from western red cedar that was grown in coastal forests.
Smaller inland trees are better suited for different products than coastal trees, Mackie said. Split rail fencing or smaller pieces of lumber are two common uses for Inland Red Cedar.
“There isn’t such a wide product range for interior cedar,” Mackie said.
4. Make the note
The two types of cedar are also processed and graded differently. Cedar is generally classified into “light” and “knotty” grades. “Clear” is the most visually perfect wood, while “knotty” is what it sounds like: quality wood that is structurally sound, but has some knots or other visual imperfections. Within the “clear” designation, lumber is further classified in grades A through D, with “A and best clean” being the highest grade and “D” being the lowest grade.
According to Mackie, Inland Red Cedar has a lower percentage of light wood, so small that most Inland Red Cedar growers don’t even sell A-grade materials. “D and better clear” is usually the highest grade available to Inland. Red Cedar. This is still quality wood, but it is not as knot and blemish free as “A” or better. Western red cedar growers have enough bulk to offer a wide range of clear grades, up to the highest grades of vertical grain clear heart.
What’s more, two different pieces of wood could be labeled similarly even though they were actually graded to different standards. According to Mackie, different lumber producers classify according to different rules. Producers of western red cedar grown in coastal regions classify according to specific cedar rules; the inland mills do not.
“A lot of the coastal factories only process cedar,” Mackie said. “The mills in the interior could make a tour of ponderosa pine, then white pine, then cedar.”
Because cedar is just one of many products offered by inland mills, they don’t follow the specific rules of cedar. Mackie said that in the “knotty” grades, interior cedar is often graded according to the Ponderosa pine grade rules. It all depends on where the wood was milled and what set of standards that particular producer was using.
5. Make the choice
So just because two pieces of wood look like cedar, smell like cedar, and may even be botanical siblings, it doesn’t mean they are identical. If you’re looking for a smaller piece of cedar where durability matters but appearance isn’t all that crucial, Inland Red Cedar could meet your needs. If you are looking for a really large beam or lumber, and you need the highest quality cedar available, Western Red Cedar is your best option.
Know your source, consider your project needs, and you are sure to get the right type of cedar for you.