WESTERN RED CEDAR HARDWOOD IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

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WESTERN RED CEDAR HARDWOOD IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

An In-Depth Look at Western Red Cedar's Characteristics, Color, Grain & More

WESTERN RED CEDAR

OTHER COMMON NAMES

Pacific red cedar and Lawson cypress are two other common names for western red cedar. Informal names include canoe cedar and shingle wood. Early pioneers in the Pacific Northwest referred to the red cedar tree as arborvitae, “tree of life”. [1]

LATIN NAME

Western red cedar’s Latin name is Thuja plicata, which is loosely translated to mean “sweet smelling wood with plaited leaves”. [2]

CHARACTERISTICS - WESTERN RED CEDAR

Western red cedar’s heartwood varies from reddish to pinkish brown, with streaks of darker red and brown. The sapwood is a pale yellowish white. Red cedar wood has a distinct aroma when being worked, and is renowned for its decay resistance. [1]

MAIN USES - WESTERN RED CEDAR

Western red cedar is mainly used for shingles, lumber, poles, posts, and piles. The lumber is processed into exterior siding, decking, interior woodwork, and also for ship and boat building. [3]

DECKING
SHINGLES
POSTS
LUMBER
BOAT BUILDING

MILLING - WESTERN RED CEDAR

Western red cedar works with both hand and power tools. It’s possible to catch the grain when planing or sanding so use caution. It has very low shrinkage. [3]

HARDWOOD PROPERTIES - WESTERN RED CEDAR

Western red cedar is considered a softwood, measuring 350 on the Janka Hardness Scale. It has a straight grain and darkens considerably after staining. Fasteners containing iron can easily stain the wood. It can’t hold nails well due to its softness but glues very well. [1,2]

Janka Hardness Scale

ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE - WESTERN RED CEDAR

Western red cedar grows mainly in the Pacific Northwest, in Oregon and Washington State. Its range extends north into Canada, up the coast of British Columbia to Alaska. It also grows south along the pacific coast into California and east into Montana and Idaho.

A coastal tree, western red cedar prefers moist soil and cool, damp conditions. Trees can reach as high as 190 feet and a diameter of 10 feet or more. [1,3]

COMPARISON TO OTHER WOOD SPECIES

Source: The Department of Agriculture's Wood Handbook

LumberSpecific GravityJanka HardnessModulus of Elasticity (MPa)Impact Bending (mm)Grain
African Mahogany --- 830 lb 9,700 --- Medium/Coarse
Alder 0.41 590 lb 9,500 510 Fine
Ash 0.6 1,320 lb 12,000 1,090 Fine
Basswood 0.37 410 lb 10,100 410 Fine
Beech 0.64 1,300 lb 11,900 1,040 Fine/Medium
Birch, Yellow 0.62 1,260 lb 13,900 1,400 Fine
Cedar, Western Red 0.32 350 lb 7,700 430 Fine
Cherry, Brazilian 0.91 2,350 lb 22,510 --- Medium
Cherry 0.5 950 lb 10,300 740 Fine
Cypress 0.51 510 lb 6,300 --- Medium
Douglas Fir 0.48 710 lb 12,300 660 Medium/Coarse
Hemlock 0.4 540 lb 8,300 530 Coarse
Hickory 0.66 1,820 lb 11,900 1,120 Medium
Maple, Hard 0.63 1,450 lb 12,600 990 Fine
Maple, Soft 0.47 700 lb 7,900 640 Fine
Oak, Red 0.63 1,290 lb 12,500 1,090 Coarse
Oak, White 0.68 1,360 lb 12,300 940 Coarse
Pine, Eastern White 0.35 380 lb 8,500 460 Medium
Pine, Ponderosa 0.4 460 lb 8,900 480 Medium
Pine, Yellow (Shortleaf) 0.51 690 lb 12,100 840 Fine/Medium
Poplar 0.42 540 lb 10,900 610 Medium
Sapele 0.67 1,410 lb 15,930 --- Fine
Teak 0.66 1,070 lb 10,700 --- Coarse
Walnut (Black) 0.55 1,010 lb 11,600 860 Medium

*Data is based on a moisture content of 12%.

GLOSSARY

Impact Bending — In the impact bending test, a hammer of given weight is dropped upon a beam from successively increased heights until rupture occurs or the beam deflects 152 mm (6 in.) or more. The height of the maximum drop, or the drop that causes failure, is a comparative value that represents the ability of wood to absorb s hocks that cause stresses beyond the proportional limit.

Janka Hardness — Defined as resistance to indentation using a modified Janka hardness test, measured by the load required to embed a 11.28-mm (0.444-in) ball to one-half its diameter. Values presented are the average of radial and tangential penetrations.

Modulus of Elasticity — Elasticity implies that deformations produced by low stress are completely recoverable after loads are removed. When loaded to higher stress levels, plastic deformation or failure occurs.

Specific Gravity - A measure of the ratio of a wood's density as compared to water. If a wood species had the same density as water, the specific gravity would be 1.00.

SOURCES

  1. “Cedar, Western Red”. WoodMagazine.com. Accessed Aug. 2021.
  2. “Western Red Cedar”. The Wood Database. Wood-database.com. Accessed Aug. 2021.
  3. “Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material”. fpl.fs.fed.us. April 2010. Accessed Aug 2021.
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