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Western Red Cedar >>
Check out what kinds of Cedar Lumber we Stock<<
For centuries, Western Red Cedar has been the Pacific Northwest's "heritage" outdoor
building material - for some very natural reasons:
- Natural
durability. Cedar's natural preservative oil eliminates the need for
further chemical treatments, unless the wood is in direct contact
with the ground.
- Natural stability.
Cedar resists cracking, warping, cupping and pulling loose from
fasteners.
- Natural working
ease. Cedar is uncommonly light in weight, cuts cleanly and easily.
- Natural beauty.
Cedar's richness of grain, color and texture complement any
architectural style.
 From
Northern British Columbia, Canada, to California, a rugged spine of
mountains stretches for almost 1,500 miles parallel to the Pacific coast
of North America. Along the slopes and in the valleys of these mountains,
the humus-rich soil nourishes mixed softwood forests in vast abundance.
The majority of Western Red Cedar (Thuja
plicata) grows in coastal forests. Western Red
Cedars grow also in the drier interior forests of British
Columbia, Washington, Idaho and Montana
where they are smaller in stature with a tight knotted growth
characteristic. Cedars rarely grow in pure stands but are generally found
in association with other species. Western Red Cedar forests are
predominantly managed forests, in which controlled harvests, natural
regeneration and reforestation programs ensure a perpetual harvest.
A Wood Of Warmth And Beauty 
Western Red Cedar is, above all, a wood of exceptional
beauty. In its natural, unfinished state, it has a richly textured,
tactile grain combined with a palette of warm, mellow tones ranging from
light amber to deep honey brown. No man-made material can duplicate the
depth of cedar's natural luster. It also remains subtly aromatic, and the
characteristic fragrance of cedar adds another dimension to its universal
appeal.
Whether used in wall paneling or ceilings, decks, fences,
doors or windows, mouldings, railings, or posts
or beams, the presence and prestige of cedar enhances structures of any
type or design, contemporary or traditional, homes, parks, offices,
stores or public buildings.
The Gift Of Durability
Western Red Cedar contains natural oils that act as
preservatives to help the wood resist insect attack and decay. Cedar is
also a dimensionally stable wood that lies flat and stays straight.
Properly finished and maintained, Western Red Cedar ages gracefully and
endures for many years.
Cedar is the preferred material for all outdoor
applications that seek visual harmony with the landscape combined with
stability and durability: from siding and patio decking to fences,
planters, screens, shelters and garden furniture. Indoors, cedar's
dimensional stability makes it perfectly suited to a variety of uses in
high moisture areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and saunas.
Western Red Cedar should be preservative treated if
intended for use in applications where it comes in contact with the
ground. Preservatives and or stains will extend the life of western red
cedar by delaying decay.
Beautiful Benefits 
Beauty aside, the purely practical, dollars-and-cent value
of cedar offers other benefits: the wood's cellular structure creates
interior air spaces that give it an insulation value higher than most
woods and much higher than brick or concrete. Buildings which feature
cedar paneling, ceilings or siding tend to stay cooler in the summer and
warmer in the winter. Cedar also has excellent sound suppression and
absorption qualities.
THE FINISHING TOUCH
While Cedar can be left unfinished for a rustic wheathered look, the use of a quality finish
recommended by Perkins Lumber can enhance both its good looks and its
natural characteristics.
Red Cedar accepts a wide range of stains in your choice of
tinted transparent finishes for a natural effect, or lightly pigmented
semi-transparent finishes. The latter are available in a spectrum of colours. We carry many lines of high quality interior
and exterior wood stains.
Look for a coating that offers good fungicide and
ultraviolet shielding properties as well as additional preservatives to
protect your project's youthful complexion. Sealers, varnishes and other
film-forming coatings which can crack and peel are not recommended for
use on exterior horizontal surfaces. For exterior applications we
recommend breathable stains as opposed to paints. A sealer should not be
used as it does not allow moisture to escape without peeling the finish,
although we carry some translucent products we recommend some pigment as
in a semi-transparent or opaque stain to help deflect the uv rays that lead to deterioration of the wood.
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