Category Archives: Western Red Cedar

Western Red Cedar Supplied for National Park Service at Stehekin

Thuja plicata, commonly called western red cedar or Pacific red cedar, giant arborvitae or western arborvitae, giant cedar, or shinglewood, is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family native to western North America. It is not a true cedar of the genus Cedrus.

Western Red Cedar trees produce their own thujaplicin, a chemical substance that is known to have anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. It’s also said to be an anti-oxidant. Long before it was used in modern construction, Western Red Cedar played a large role in the lives of Native Americans. So much that they called it “the Tree of Life”.

Native to the Pacific Northwest, where Cedar Country Lumber is located, we are proud suppliers of Western Red Cedar building materials for new construction, as well as historical restorations. Over the years, we have had the pleasure of working with the North Cascades National Park staff on many of their projects, including some at Stehekin.

Accessible only by foot, boat, or plane, Stehekin is located on the Northern shores of Lake Chelan in Eastern Washington and offers many outdoor activities, including hiking, biking, fishing, camping, and kayaking. For visitors wishing to spend the night with amenities, there are cabins, a house, and rooms for rent, as well as a restaurant and general store.

Western Red Cedar supplied for National Park Service at Stehekin

Special “thanks” to our friends, the Roberts, for capturing these photos on their recent trip to Stehekin!

Knotty Western Red Cedar Siding

Knotty Western Red Cedar Siding

Hand Split Western Red Cedar Shakes

Hand Split Western Red Cedar Shakes

Western Red Cedar Board and Batten Siding

Western Red Cedar Board and Batten Siding

Select Tight Knot Western Red Cedar

Select Tight Knot Western Red Cedar

Before your next project, be sure to visit us!  We ship nationwide!

360.757.6343

www.CedarCountryLumber.com

950 B Fountain Street, Burlington WA

Western Red Cedar Garden Bed Material

Now that the weather has turned, it is time to start thinking about putting in (or adding to) a backyard garden, and raised beds are one of the easiest to ways to get started.  For a whole list of the benefits of raised garden beds, please see our post on that subject by clicking HERE.

Limited to stock on hand, our 2×12″ utility-grade Western Red Cedar is the ultimate choice for constructing new beds.  Naturally resistant to rot and decay, easy to work with, and beautiful!

PRO TIP:  If you plan on growing carrots or any other root vegetables, your raised garden beds need to be at the very least 10″ deep.

Our value priced 2x12" cedar boards are perfect to raised garden beds

Western Red Cedar raised garden beds should be at least 10" deep

Western Red Cedar Raised Bed Garden

Due to exceptional pricing, our utility-grade “value-priced” Western Red Cedar garden material is sold as-is with no returns or exchanges.  Limited to lengths and stock on hand.

Before your next project, be sure to visit us!  We ship nationwide!

360.757.6343

950 B Fountain Street, Burlington WA

www.CedarCountryLumber.com

Western Red Cedar – The Environmentally Sound Choice!

High on the scale of “green building products” available, Western Red Cedar is one of the most versatile.

As consumers become more and more aware of their environmental footprint, their decision-making process in building materials is changing. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be challenging to determine a particular product’s total environmental impact.

While many building products tout that they are made from recycled materials or are “green” in some way, there are many things to consider when selecting a product. One must consider the energy used to manufacture it, the emissions that are created
during the manufacturing process, as well as how the product will be disposed when its life cycle is complete.

green building logo

 Because of its versatility, Western Red Cedar is used in various residential and commercial building projects, both inside and out. It is available in stress grades for construction, as well as finishing grades in wide variety of lengths, widths, thicknesses and textures. It has high insulation values, looks amazing, and is harvested from the world’s most sustainably managed forests.

And, when its life cycle is complete, Western Red Cedar building materials can be recycled and are 100% biodegradable.

test header-001

In a 2007 study conducted by Forintek, Canada’s leading forest products research organization, Western Red Cedar decking and siding outperformed man-made materials, used less energy overall, and had a lower impact on the environment, including global warming potential, acidification potential, ozone depletion, and human particulate (respiratory) effects.  The only criteria in which it was not a leader, was on Western Red Cedar siding. But, that finding can be traced directly back to the use of paint on the siding, not the natural characteristics of Western Red Cedar itself. Therefore, the consumer would have the ability to improve this rating positively by the choice they make in their paint or stain.

In North America, there are many examples of historic buildings that Western Red Cedar has performed beautifully for hundreds of years and there are also many new buildings that have used reclaimed or repurposed Western Red Cedar lumber. Additionally, when Western Red Cedar trees are harvested, those trees are promptly replanted. For every three trees harvested, eight are planted in British Columbia. While other products increase greenhouse gases, these new cedar trees actually improve the environment; more trees mean more oxygen.

Western Red Cedar Trees

So, when selecting building materials to use in your next project, be sure to consider a natural wood choice; Western Red Cedar.

We Ship Nationwide!

www.CedarCountryLumber.com

ph 360.757.6343

Western Red Cedar Fence Board Grades

Day after day, we receive inquiries for the price of fence boards. Unlike traditional lumber yards and box home improvement stores, when a call like that is received at our shop, our staff provides a price for a Western Red Cedar fence board as well as the grade. In many cases, the person who is inquiring about the price does not have a clear understanding of what the grading means and may compare pricing of products from various sources that are not equal.

Imagine calling around to different restaurants and asking for the price of “cheeseburger”.  While it is called the same thing at a fast-food restaurant, as well as at a nice family restaurant, the “cheeseburger” at each location will be of different quality, and the pricing would reflect that. You would not purchase a cheeseburger based solely on price while not taking into consideration the quality, so therefore, you should not select a fence board based strictly on price either.

While there is no regulation or standards for “cheeseburgers”, there are established standards for fence boards that have been developed by the National Lumber Grades Authority, as well as the West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau. It is important to note that “fence grade” is below knotty or clear grades of Western Red Cedar and should not be compared to the quality or held at the same standard as lumber in those grades.

The West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau divides Western Red Cedar Fence Boards into three basic categories. Any grade may be rough or surfaced, Air Dried, Kiln Dried or “green”. Grade is determined by the best face.

No. 1 Fencing “Select”

  • Checks and Pinholes are not limited
  • Shakes are “Fine”
  • Skips are “hit and miss”, splits are “short”
  • Knots are sound and tight
  • Spike Knots can be approximately 1/2 face width or equivalent
  • Tolerance of 1/16″ over or under in thickness, width may vary along the piece of 1/8″, but not to exceed 20% of the pieces
1

Quality “No Hole” Western Red Cedar Fencing

No. 2 Fencing “Quality”

  • Checks and Pinholes are not limited
  • Shakes are “fine”
  • Skips are “hit and miss”, splits are “medium”
  • Wane can be 1/2 thickness as well as 1/3 width
  • There can be small spots or streaks of unsound wood
  • White speck not limited
  • There may be some knots that are not firmly fixed or are unsound but may not exceed 1/3 the width of the board
  • Spike Knots can be 3/4 of the face width
  • Maximum 1″ holes with 4 per foot allowed, unless “No Hole” is specified
  • Same tolerance of thickness and width as Select Fencing
This is a great example of our No. 2 Select “No Hole” Fencing, which is the standard fence board we supply unless otherwise specified. This particular fence is made from 3/4″ net thick material that the customer made a custom, decorative top cut to.

This is a great example of our No. 2 Select “No Hole” Fencing, which is the standard fence board we supply unless otherwise specified. This particular fence is made from 3/4″ net thick material that the customer made a custom, decorative top cut to.

No. 3 Fencing “Rustic”

  • Lumber of this grade is suitable for low grade and permits all characteristics which do not interfere with the use of the piece
  • Thickness can be 3/16″ over or under invoiced thickness
  • Edge skips can not exceed 1/4″
  • Variation on width should not exceed 1/2″

We do not generally carry any No. 3 fencing or any fencing that allows for holes. On the off chance we have some, or order this product in for a particular order, we do not allow returns or exchanges on ANY No. 3 fencing, as the pricing reflects the quality of the material of the whole order.

no 3 fencing

No. 3 Western Red Cedar Fence Boards

GLOSSARY as provided by The West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau
Shake – A lengthwise separation of the wood that occurs between or through the annual growth rings

  • “Light” or “Fine” Shake is not over 1/32″ wide
  • “Medium” Shake is not over 1/8″ wide
  • “Surface” Shake occurs on only one surface of the piece
  • Shake should not be confused with bark seams

Split – A separation of the wood through the piece of the opposite surface or to an adjoining surface due to the tearing apart of the wood cells.

  • “Very Short” is equal in length to 1/2 of the width of the piece
  • “Short” is equal in length to the width of the piece and does not exceed 1/6 the length
  • “Medium” is equal in length to twice the width of the piece and does not exceed 1/6 the length
  • “Long” is longer than a medium

Skips – Occurs during milling when the board is too thin in an area to reach the planer blades, thus resulting in a rough spot

Wane – Bark or lack of wood from any cause, except eased edges, on the edge or corner of a piece of lumber

Before your next project, be sure to visit us!

www.CedarCountryLumber.com

We Ship Nationwide!

360.757.643