Wood Species Guide
Western Red Cedar
Thuja plicata
Also called: WRC, Pacific Red Cedar, Canoe Cedar, Shinglewood, Giant Arborvitae
What Western Red Cedar looks like
Heartwood runs from a pale salmon pink to a deep reddish brown, often in streaks within the same board. Sapwood is a narrow band of near-white. Left outside unfinished, it weathers to a silver gray within a season or two.
Grain and texture
Straight and even grain with a medium to coarse texture. Growth rings are clearly visible, and the wood has a strong, sweet cedar smell when freshly cut.
Working Western Red Cedar: planing, cutting and gluing
Planes and cuts with almost no effort, but it is soft enough that dull knives crush the fibers instead of slicing them. Keep cutters sharp and take light passes on end grain. It glues well, though it dents and splits easily, so pre-drill near ends and use stainless or coated fasteners because the extractives react with plain steel and leave black stains.
Finishing Western Red Cedar: oil, film finishes and epoxy
Takes penetrating oils and exterior stains very well, and that is how most people finish it. The natural extractives can slow the drying of some oil-based film finishes and bleed through light-colored water-based coatings, so a sealer coat helps. Epoxy bonds fine to it; a thin seal coat keeps bubbles from rising out of the soft earlywood.
Durability, stability and Florida humidity
The heartwood is rated durable to very durable against decay, which is why it is a classic for siding, decking and outdoor furniture. It is very stable for a softwood and moves little with humidity swings. In Florida it holds up well on a covered lanai, but it is too soft for tabletops that take daily wear, and termites will still go after sapwood.
Shop notes from our Fort Myers shop
We think of Western red cedar as a project wood, not a tabletop wood: planter boxes, pergola parts, closet linings, outdoor benches and lightweight wall panels. It is soft enough that a fingernail leaves a mark, so pair it with harder woods if a surface will see traffic. For anything outdoors in our climate, use stainless screws and finish all six sides. We can usually help you source clear or knotty grades; just ask.
Common uses for Western Red Cedar
Siding, shingles, decking, fencing, pergolas, outdoor furniture, boat building, closet and sauna linings, and guitar soundboards.
Sustainability and CITES status
Not listed in the CITES Appendices. Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Safety and toxicity
- Respiratory / asthma
- Sensitizer (allergy builds with exposure)
- Skin irritation
- Eye irritation
Western red cedar is one of the best-documented causes of occupational asthma among woods, and the asthma can persist after exposure stops. It also irritates skin and eyes.
- In the shop
- Dust extraction + good respirator when cutting or sanding; gloves for sensitive skin
- Food contact
- Not recommended for cutting boards, bowls and utensils
General information, not medical advice. See a doctor if you have a reaction.
Western red cedar has a higher rate of allergic reaction than most commercial woods. Its dust is linked to occupational asthma and skin irritation, so use dust collection and a good respirator when sanding or machining it.
Western Red Cedar in stock now
Ask us. We can often source it.
We don't have Western Red Cedar listed online right now, but new slabs and lumber come in all the time and not everything makes it to the website. Tell us what you're building and we'll check our racks and suppliers.
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