Aesthetically, it is a naturally stunning building material with deep, tonal properties that accentuate the richly textured wood grains and exposed heartwood.
It is both pitch and resin-free, which means that it can hold a variety of finishes from semi-transparent stains to elegant dark stains. It is also incredibly durable and will prove to keep your structure attractive for years to come.
For centuries, the Western Red Cedar has been celebrated by the Pacific Northwest Coast First Nations as the “Tree of Life” using it to build longhouses, canoes, and totem poles. Thousands of years later and the red cedar continues to be a preferred building material.
Red cedar’s reputation for being a naturally durable wood makes it perfect for all outdoor projects. The wood is lightweight and valued for its high natural resistance and decay properties.
It is less susceptible to moisture, insect damage, and fungi growth. Cedar is also water damage resistant and can successfully weather long periods of heavy rain and other weather extremes such as snow, hail, and strong winds.
With its unsurpassed natural beauty, centuries of proven performance, low environmental impact, and natural resistance to decay/insects it’s clear to see the advantage of quality Western Red Cedar.
Finger-jointed western red cedar boards are lumber made from short pieces of western red cedar joined together into longer boards. The joints fit together like interlacing fingers and are glued together. The boards are predominantly available in 1”, 1 1/4”, and 2” thicknesses and range from 2” to 12” in width. Finger-jointed western red cedar is also available in half-by-four, half-by-six, half-by-eight, three-quarter-by-eight, and three-quarter-by-eight bevel siding.
Native to the Pacific Northwest region of North America, Western Red Cedar, scientifically known as Thuja plicata, has been cherished for generations for its outstanding attributes. These qualities encompass its innate resistance to decay, impressive dimensional stability, and a captivating reddish-brown hue that transforms into a silvery-gray patina as it ages.
Finger-jointing is a woodworking technique with remarkable benefits, it is employed to create extended and more resilient wood pieces with less wasted material. In this process, carefully cut shorter lengths of high-quality Western Red Cedar are seamlessly connected through interlocking finger-like projections. This method not only optimizes wood utilization but also bolsters its structural integrity, resulting in an appealing and durable finish.