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Photo courtesy of the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association.
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By Mark Clement
The species we call Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) was called "tree of life" by indigenous denizens of the northwestern U.S. and Canada, and they used it for everything from canoes to totem poles— some of which survive to this day.
Of course, we shingle and clapboard sidewalls, build decks, even timber-frame entire structures with it. It seems there's little the Tree of Life can't do.
Cedar is also a green choice for various building applications, which we like here at HGTVPro.com. The Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA) — which calls the timber in all its forms Real Cedar — says that cedar is, of course, a naturally occurring material and a renewable resource. What's more, with today's sustainable forestry practices, 95 percent of the tree is used for the board feet you buy at your supplier. The remaining 5 percent — branches — are left on the forest floor to decompose into rich compost, according to WRCLA.
Cedar can last for decades, even centuries after you install it. On the other hand, if you demo it from an existing job, it's biodegradable. Good stuff for going green. And this low-density softwood has thousands of tiny air pockets, giving it an insulation value superior to most other species. This cell structure also enables cedar to dampen sound better than other sidings. Are you kidding me? Does it cook dinner too? (Actually, after talking with WRCLA, it turns out that barbequing salmon on cedar planks is very popular. The key is to soak the plank in water or wine which produces a light smoky flavor. Check for recipes and techniques, though, so you don't light yourself on fire.)
The bottom line, however, is looks, and the line on looks goes like this: Why do you think vinyl and cement siding/decking manufacturers emboss a wood grain on their products? Because it looks good. Cedar has this naturally, of course. It's the standard.
Western Red Cedar is also dependably straight (thank you, forces of nature!), dimensionally stable and lies flat on a sidewall application, which is key for a sweet siding job. A cedar timber-frame home, pergola, garden structure or other outdoor feature not only beats the weather, it simply looks awesome. And cedar is easy to work with.
The other cool thing about cedar is that you can weave it in to other or existing claddings and materials. On a deck, cedar decking, trim and handrails around a PT base actually looks good. On a siding job, you can dovetail cedar with stone, timber, brick, stucco, concrete ? you name it ... and cedar pretty much looks good with it, according to WRCLA.
What I also like is that I can get cedar in about 101 different forms. Siding is the most diverse, with choices running the gamut from clear bevel siding to T&G to wavy-edge bevel to factory-primed finger-joint, but I can also spec it as 2-by, 5/4, board and batten, timber. I love the choice.
For cedar to live up to all this, however, it needs to be installed right. To extend a post's service life for structural ground contact, for example, WRCLA recommends collaring it in concrete a few inches above grade, treating it with a water repellant stain below grade, and/or bolting it to a concrete footing above grade to avoid a wet/dry/wet cycle. Nails (aluminum, hot-dipped galvanized or stainless), nailing schedules and proper backing are vitally important for siding, so check with WRCLA for tried and true tips and techniques that'll make your work exemplary — like the material you're building with.
Western Red Cedar Lumber Association
Mark Clement is a remodeler and author of The Carpenter’s Notebook and The Kid’s Carpenter’s Workbook, Fun Family Projects! Find out more at www.TheCarpentersNotebook.com.
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