Western Red Cedar

Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata)

Common Name(s): Western Redcedar, Western Red Cedar

Scientific Name: Thuja plicata

Distribution: Pacific Northwest United States/Canada

Tree Size: 180 ft (55 m) tall, 10 ft (3 m) trunk diameter

Average Dried Weight: 23 lbs/ft³ (375 kg/m³)

Basic Specific Gravity: .31

Hardness: 350 lb_f (1,560 N)

Bending Strength: 7,500 lb_f/in² (51,720 kPa)

Elasticity: 1,110,000 lb_f/in² (7,660 MPa)

Shrinkage: Radial: 2.4%, Tangential: 5.0%, Volumetric: 6.8%, T/R Ratio: 2.1

Color/Appearance: Western Redcedar is typically reddish to pinkish brown, often with random streaks and bands of darker red/brown areas.

Grain/Pore: Has a straight grain and a medium to coarse texture. Western Redcedar has a closed pore structure.

Durability: Western Redcedar has been rated as durable to very durable in regard to decay resistance, though it is not resistant to insect attack.

Workability: Easy to work with both hand or machine tools, though it dents and scratches very easily due to its softness. Glues and finishes well, though as is the case with most softwoods with closed pores, even staining can be a challenge.

Smell: Western Redcedar has a strong, aromatic scent when being worked.

Safety: Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, Western Redcedar has been reported as a sensitizer. Usually most common reactions simply include eye, skin, and respiratory irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information.

Price Range: Should be moderately inexpensive for construction-grade lumber, though higher grades of clear, straight-grained, quartersawn lumber can be more expensive.

Comments: Western Redcedar is a commercially important lumber, used in a number of applications ranging from rough-sawn lumber for use in home construction to clear quartersawn material for classical guitar soundboards.

Some common uses for Western Redcedar include: shingles, exterior siding and lumber, boat-building, boxes, crates, and musical instruments.

Related Species:

Northern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis)

Scans/Pictures: As you can see from the pictures below, Western Redcedar darkens a fair amount when a finish is applied. (Also note that the samples below were of straight-grained, quartersawn material.)

Western Redcedar (sanded)