Yellow, red and western red cedar leaves are flat and fern-like in arrangement, leathery in texture and crumble easily if you rub them between your fingers. trailer However, the pickets are thinner and less sturdy than Western Red Cedar, and have a tendency to split or break during installation. 2 K. Another way to tell the difference between #1 and #2 cedar is by the staining options available. If youre doing a transparent stain, youre going to restain every two to three years. The wood splits easily--hence, it is commonly used for split singles and shakes. Period. Rout the recesses right to hold a lid upright. Nah. Pricing/Availability:Not widely imported,Sugi is generally available in Asia as siding or other light construction purposes, as well as veneer. Its natural oils are insect and decay resistant, and left in its natural state it remains beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. The specific links on this site are affiliate links (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases) and help support the site at no extra cost to you. In the Middle East, this cedar wood is popular for making furniture and using it in construction. 0000237930 00000 n Identification of Alaskan yellow cedars is by their dark green, flat scaly leaves growing on pendulous branches. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Because the leaves form opposite pairs, it creates a flat structure, almost like a lattice. Red cedar has plicatic acid in it which makes it highly resistant to decay, while I cannot say the same about Japanese sugi, which is not that decay-resistant. startxref The Japanese cedar runners are crooked as fck and will likely warp even more over time. When it comes to maintenance on a Western red cedar fence, youre going to restain it about every five years. 0000153101 00000 n The Japanese cedar or cryptomeria, meaning hidden parts, is a coniferous tree widespread within Japan. You can distinguish between true cedars and false cedars by looking at their evergreen needle leaves. Essential cedar oils are also extracted from the trees resin. HWr}WL*U)2~yHHQ, 0000004086 00000 n Low density and light weight make it easy to cut and shape using hand or power tools. Knots prove prevalent in lower grades, though "clear" grades are available. Big? It's an inferior product. It is easy to identify Lebanon cedars due to their majestic tall stature. Though the trees are extensively (and sustainably) grown on plantations, the natural stands where the tree grows are fragmented and small, and not easily distinguished from the plantations which grow the same species. Were committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. At A Better Fence Company, we use ONLY Western Red Cedar for our cedar fences, arbors and pergolas. It's made up of strong PVC compounds that contribute to fencing being able to endure forever and be everlasting. In confined spaces, the resins in eastern red cedar can cause finishing problems, as they inhibit proper hardening of oil finishes. Know How to Spot the Difference. In warmer climates, its significant growth has a spreading nature that provides shade underneath. Many people also consider the timber from Alaskan yellow cedars as some of the finest available. I have quotes from 2 different companies for a board on board fence with cap and trim. Also, if you're toe nailing on fences, you have no idea how to properly install a long lasting high quality fence- take that shit back to framing homes with SPF (spruce-pine-fur for anyone not in construction). You can identify the Atlas cedar by its dark-brown or gray bark that fissures as it grows. The leaves are often used to make incense. Appreciate any input. If you are told that you are getting #1 grade Western Red Cedar Pre-Stained, make sure you inspect the pickets closely when they arrive. Making surethat the right type of cedar is being installed will make a huge difference in the quality, look, and overall longevity of your fence. In its native habitat of Cyprus, the Cyprian cedar tree grows up to about 80 ft. (24 m) tall. You can see easily with your eyes how crappy the western red cedar pickets are with 80+% of them having the white sapwood and very little of the heartwood- the reverse of the Japanese Cedar. The sapwood is narrow and almost white. Texas Best Fence & Patio The sapwood is almost white, and knots are often present throughout the wood. The timber is fragrant, weather and insect resistant, soft, strong, and has a very low density, which makes it useful for furniture making and home construction. The female trees produce small green and blue cones that look like berries. Lebanon cedar is a cold hardy true cedar tree which can grow very tall. Its ability to resist decay and weathering is inferior to Western Red Cedar making it less suitable for fences and other outdoor structures. 0000001156 00000 n Some fence companies will charge you a higher price for #1 Grade Western Red Cedar, but will install #2 Grade Western Red Cedar instead, or worse, a type of wood that is not Western Red Cedar, in order to make a higher profit while hoping that you wont be able to tell the difference. 0000044399 00000 n Most fence suppliers in North Texas do not offer Pre-Stained #1 grade Western Red Cedar pickets. Three great finishes (that aren't polyurethane). They grow to between 130 and 160 feet in height. However, with that said there are different grades of cedar and there are low grades of Western red cedar which will affect primarily the aesthetics. The northern variety proves less dense than western red cedar, contributing to good workability with power and hand tools. Japanese cedar became popular in 2020 when WRC became difficult to acquire. They grow from 100 to 200 feet in height and their scaly leaves fan out in 90-degree V-shapes. Sources: Luthier's supply companies, specialty hardwood dealers. The larger tree is coming down today, and I'll be transporting it all to a local urban harvester tomorrow to be milled into 8/4 & 5/4 stock. Reply SnobbyDobby Additional comment actions Expert here. You can identify a female tree by these berry-like cones. Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) reigns supreme for the production of decking, siding, shingles, and outdoor structures because of its natural decay resistance, ability to repel water, and abundance. Look for horizontal branches growing on a multi-stemmed tree. Email:sales@allstate-fence.com, 10200 Highway 191 Q.: Western Red Cedar, Western red-cedar, Thulja plicata Incense Cedar, Incense-cedar, Calocedrus decurrens Alaska Cedar, Alaska-cedar, Callitropsis nootkatensis (formerly Chamaecyparis nootkatensis) Port Orford Cedar, Port Orford-cedar, Chamaecyprisis lawsoniana The above hyphenated common names are more appropriate for they connote the fact that the species is not a true cedar, i.e., Cedrus Can someone tell me if I can expect a Sugi bedframe I am making to substantially darken if I dont apply a finish? It is often found in moist forests that have deep, rich, well-drained soil. Overview. The four types of cedar trees are Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) with dark green foliage, Cyprian cedar (Cedrus brevifolia) with bluish-green needle-leaves, Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara) with bright green needles and moderately large cones, and cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) with its glaucous, bluish-green foliage. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 76,127 times. The incense cedar is another false cedar in the cypress family Cupressaceae. With Japanese Cedar, youll have sticker marks from where the wood was dried before it was shipped here from Japan. Good Luck. Lubbock, Texas 79424 Cones are usually 2 to 4 inches (5.1 to 10.2cm) long. Real cedar wood is very waterproof and when submerge in water it increases in hardness. Native to Lebanon and the Middle East, these evergreen conifers are enormous trees that can reach up to 130 ft. (40 m) tall. 0000188507 00000 n See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity and Wood Dust Safety for more information. Would you need to treat first? Sources: Go to hardwood dealers for boards, and woodworking catalogs for small stock. It is a pyramidal and sometimes irregular evergreen conifer with tiered horizontal branching. 0000188743 00000 n The Japanese red-cedar, otherwise called the "Japanese sugi pine" - known to the Japanese as Sugi - is a large evergreen tree which is native to Japan, can reach up to 70 m in height, and can reach trunk diameters of 4m. Im finding very little about it online. However, if you pay for a #1 grade cedar fence, it should NOT look like it has a bad case of chicken pox! Bow Woods (from a mathematical perspective), Four Common Finishing Mistakes (and how to avoid them). Many people make the mistake of buying pine or spruce for fences since these species of wood are common and affordable. Endgrain:Resin canals absent; earlywood to latewood transition fairly gradual, color contrast medium-high; tracheid diameter small-medium; diffuse parenchyma. But contact with the sawdust can cause rashes and respiratory problems. 0000003258 00000 n Used by many fence companies because of its lower cost, Chinese Cedar is not actually cedar, it is a fir. The lightweight wood bears straight grain and proves easy to machine and finish. Using this type of wood will mean a longer lasting fence with less repairs needed over the course of its life. xref Being lightweight, the wood becomes easy to handle and operate. Yes. Western red you can slam a 16 penny nail in and no splits. The needle like leaves are approximately 0.5-1 cm long while the globular seed cones are 1-2 cm in diameter and contain about 20-40 scales. 0000000016 00000 n Though categorized as a softwood, Alaskan Yellow Cedar is exceptionally dense. Western Red Cedar, and Japanese Cedar can be allowed to weather naturally to a silvery grey look, or a range of stains and coatings can be applied to ensure maximum performance. The seed cones from the tree are just over an inch (2.5 cm) long and are an orange-yellowish color. The difference in cost usually means a difference in quality. Well also look at other trees that have the common name cedar but botanically speaking are not cedars in the real sense of the word. If youre asking yourself, What wood is best for a fence? theres no doubting that high-quality wood is always on the list. With a solid or semi-solid stain, you typically will get a five-year warranty. It all has to do with what properties a certain species of wood might have. They are a monoecious species which reproduce via wind-based pollen and seed dispersal. Grain/Texture:Grain is straight; medium, even texture. By using our site, you agree to our. It has needle like leaves, which are approximately 0.5-1 cm long, and globular seed cones that are 1-2 cm in diameter and contain about 20-40 scales. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/d\/d1\/Identify-Cedar-Trees-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Identify-Cedar-Trees-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/d\/d1\/Identify-Cedar-Trees-Step-1.jpg\/aid10122095-v4-728px-Identify-Cedar-Trees-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"