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Western Red Cedar - What it is and Outdoor Furniture Uses

What is Western redcedar? Western redcedar (Thuja plicata) is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous (Conifer: cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being trees with just a few being shrubs. Typical examples of conifers include cedars, douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauis, larches, pines, redwoods, spruces and yews.) tree in the cypress family. Cupressaceae (The Cupressaceae or cypress family is a conifer family with worldwide distribution. The family includes 27-30 genera (17 monotypic) with about 130-140 species. They are monocious, subdioecious or (rarely) dioecious trees and shrubs from 1-116 m (3-379 ft.) tall. The bark of mature trees is commonly orange-to-red brown and of stringy texture, often flaking or peeling in vertical strips, but smooth, scaly or hard and square-cracked in some species.), native to the northern United States and southwestern Canada, from southern Alaska and British Columbia south to northwestern California and inland to western Montana.

 

The foilage forms flat sprays with scale-like leaves in opposite pairs, with successive pairs at 90 degrees to each other. The foilage sprays are green above, and green marked white with stomtal (Stoma: In botany, a stoma (also stomate; plural stomata) is a tiny opening or pore, found mostly on the underside of a plant leaf and used for gas exchange.) bands below. The cones are slender, 15-20 mm long and 4-5 mm broad., with 8-12 thin, overlapping scales. Western redcedar is a large tree, to 50-60 , tall and 3 m (exceptionally 6 m) trunk diameter. In addition to growing in lush forests, western redcedar is also a riparian (A riparian zone is the interface between land and a stream. Riparian zones occur in many forms including grassland, woodland, wetland or even non-vegetative. the word "riparian" is derived from Latin ripa, meaning river bank.) tree, and grows in many forested swamps and streambanks in its range. The tree is shade-tolerant, and able to reproduce under dense shade.

The soft red-brown timber is valued for its resistance to decay, being extensively used for outdoor construction in the form of posts, decking, shingles, siding and outdoor furniture including porch swings, patio tables, picnic tables. garden benches, garden trelisses, arbors, bridges and so much more. It is also used to line closets and chests, for its pungent aromatic oils are believed to discourage moth and carpet beetle lavae, which can damage cloth by eating wool and similar fibers. This is of course more effective in a properly constructed redcedar chest (sometimes made of entirely cedar), since the oils are confined by shellac and leather seals.

Cedar is a lightweight and dimensionally stable wood that lies flat and stays flat. It stays cool. It is an incredible thermal co-efficient. It is fungal and bacterial resistant couples with the fact that cedar is 80% the strength of oak, makes it the most desirable wood for building outdoor furniture such as: porch swings, picnic tables, garden benches, patio tables, adirondack chairs, loungers, ottomans, garden trellisses and arbors. Cedar is an excellent material for humid and moist climates.

Consider the advantages of purchasing outdoor patio tables, porch swings, adirondack chairs, garden benches and other outdoor furniture and garden products made from cedar. It won't bow or sag over time. It won't become faded or dull sun scorched but rather will hold its beautiful appearance for years to come. Cedar is an all around healthier and safer choice for outdoor furniture and garden products.

 

Most of todays outdoor furniture material is chemically treated. These materials are soaked in a toxic stew of chemical preservatives that are strong enough to require warning labels for those handling it. There are three primary ingredients in pressure treated woods: copper, arsenic and chromium. The extent of arsenic exposure due to physical contact with CCA wood surfaces has caused a controversy. Playground equipment, picnic tables and decks are such surfaces built using CCA treated wood. Virtually no inorganic arsenic is absorded through the skin, but is readily taken in by ingestion, studies have shown. Thus, the potential exposure is hand to mouth, and therefore, children are considered to be the most vulnerable to this potential risk.

Cedar is a natural alternative to chemically treated wood. So why not choose it for your outdoor furniture, garden products and your construction needs.

Some information came from Wikipedia.

 

About the Author

I am Karen Faulkingham owner of Karen's Connection Inc. at www.enjoyingtheoutside.com online retailer of outdoor wooden furniture. I am a retired hair dresser. I enjoy interior decorating, golf and watching most sports.

Cedar Adirondack Q&A

What would you do to prolong the life of your white cedar adirondack chairs?

After you wash them; would you Thompson water seal, or would you oil them?

I would use a product from my local hardware store. If you life in wet and salty climates then you should seal and protect the wood finish or it will fade to gray and or get black spot mold and mildew.

The oil will not last as long but will keep the wood looking raw if that is the look you are going for. But ti is a temporary fix so it would have to be redone.