Western Red Cedar
| Scientific Name: | Thuja plicata |
| Other names: | Giant Arbor-vitae, British Columbia Red Cedar, Red Cedar, Canoe Cedar |
An evergreen coniferous tree native to North America. It is a large, tall tree which grows up to 65m in height. It has dark reddish-brown bark that is deeply textured, with a dense canopy and the leaves are fern-like in appearance.
Distribution
A large North America softwood found in areas of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana
Texture
WRC has a fine texture and prominent growth rings, straight grained and not resinous.
Appearance
Heartwood ranges from honey colour or pale brown to dark rich browns. Sapwood is a paler yellowish white. Older timber is usually darker in colour
Properties
Western Red Cedar is a durable and dimensionally stable non-structural soft wood with natural resistance to insect attack. Its low density gives good thermal and acoustic properties.
Application
Easy to work with, machines, finishes and glues well, although care must be taken when machining cross-grain as it is brittle and tends to chip out if the tooling is not sharp. Caution must be taken when sanding and machining as the fine sawdust can cause respiratory irritation for some people. The extractives content of Western Red Cedar can be corrosive to iron and copper. Stainless steel and hot dipped galvanised fittings along with silicone bronze nails are commonly used to avoid the black discolouration that can occur around the fixings in areas likely to experience any dampness.
A beautiful and aromatic sustainable timber that can be used for a wide range of applications. Excellent dimensional stability and workability means that it can be machined into intricate architectural profiles. It is an ideal timber for external and internal joinery, cladding, screening, panelling, shingles, furniture, saunas, windows and doors.
Western Red Cedars natural beauty and colours can be retained and protected by using CUTEK® Interior for internal or out of weather applications. Western Red Cedar’s natural durability for outdoor use can also be supported by the application of CUTEK® Extreme CD50 or CUTEK® Wood Preservative which will give additional dimensional stability and protection against moisture, increasing the service life of the timber even in the harshest of environments.
Colourtone Results
All pictures shown are of real timber samples of the selected species. Each sample was coated with 2 coats of CUTEK® Extreme CD50 (including Colourtone) at single or double strength. The timber sample picture labelled “CLEAR” has been included to show the original colour of the timber for your ease of reference.
Colourtone swatches are shown below in groups of Brown Hues, Red Hues, Yellow Hues and White/Black Hues.
Please note that the colour, species, age and condition of your timber to be coated will impact the final colour and finish of all CUTEK® products. The colourtones on the CUTEK® website are representative only and may look different when applied to your specific timber project.
Always obtain a to assess your colour choice and product suitability for use on your actual timber BEFORE proceeding with your project.
Single Strength
Clear
Single Strength
Double Strength
Sela Brown
Single Strength
Double Strength
New Bronzetone
Single Strength
Double Strength
Burnt Ash
Single Strength
Double Strength
Walnut
Single Strength
Double Strength
Cedartone
Single Strength
Double Strength
Autumntone
Single Strength
Double Strength
Burnt Red
Single Strength
Double Strength
Merbau
Single Strength
Double Strength
Light Oak
Single Strength
Double Strength
Goldtone
Single Strength
Double Strength
Honeycomb
Single Strength
Double Strength
Rustic Gold
Single Strength
Double Strength
White Wash
Single Strength
Double Strength
Grey Mist
Single Strength
Double Strength
Smokey Grey
Single Strength
Double Strength