Cedar's Secret
Just the facts: Western Red Cedar is renowned world-wide for its unique weather-resistant properties.
It doesn’t warp
Cedar is a lightweight and dimensionally stable wood that lies flat and stays straight. Which means it resists the natural tendency to crack and check, as you might find in many other wood species.
It stays cool
Western Red Cedar has an incredible thermal co-efficient, meaning even on hot days, it is cool to sit on.
It won’t rot
Western Red Cedar fibers contain oils that act as natural preservatives to help the wood resist rot and decay making. This distinct characteristic makes it an excellent furniture material for moist or humid climates. These properties also make cedar a very popular material for hot tub and sauna areas.
Western Red Cedar has been used for generations for roofing and shingles, fences, fence posts, planking for small boat hulls and, of course, for outdoor furniture. A Western Red Cedar fence post will last up to 16 years in the ground. We have found that left out year-round, untreated and uncovered in Canada's rugged winters, the furniture will last a minimum of 8 to 10 years. Furniture that is brought inside or covered for the winter will last twice that long.
It smells Great
Naturally occurring organic compounds, called thujaplicins, give off a richly distinct cedar aroma that smells so good to humans but makes the wood highly unattractive to insects, moths, and other pests. This is why cedar is a choice material for closet liners and blanket storage chests.
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