Western Red Cedar

We mill log and log sidings from Western redcedar, as well as pine and spruce. Western redcedar rows in the Pacific Northwest and along the Pacific coast to Alaska. It is also found in the Inland Empire of Montana and Idaho.

Western redcedar is known for its resistance to insect attack and decay. One cedar tree whih had been blown down in the forests of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington had 14 Hemlock trees growing over it, each Hemlock was over 100 years old! For this reason, it is the preferred species to use in log homes in the humid areas of the United States.

The wood is straight grained, light in weight, and has a higher "R" factor due to its porosity. The color of redcedar will vary within the wall of a log home. Some logs are dark red (heartwood), some are lighter in color and some have white sapwood mixed in with the heartwood. For this reason, redcedar has a lot of character. The western redcedar should not be confused with the Eastern redcedar (aromatic cedar) which is used for cedar chests and paneling.

Western redcedar has a sweet scent, however this scent will last for a short time only. When considering a log home, consider Western redcecdar, the premium timber for building a log home.