Cedar wood is highly valued for its natural beauty and durability, making it a popular choice for various applications from outdoor decking to indoor chests. Its appealing qualities, including resistance to decay and insects, make it a preferred material. Learning to accurately identify cedar can be beneficial for woodworkers, homeowners, and enthusiasts alike. This guide provides an overview of how to distinguish cedar wood using visual, sensory, and comparative methods.
Visual Indicators of Cedar Wood
The appearance of cedar wood offers several clues for identification, starting with its color. Cedar heartwood typically displays warm hues, from reddish-browns to light pinks, and even purplish tones. This often contrasts sharply with the pale or creamy white sapwood. The color spectrum can also include light amber, and sometimes, darker streaks may run through the wood.
The grain pattern of cedar is generally straight, though some cuts might show occasional waves or cathedral patterns. It has a uniform, medium to fine texture. Cedar often features knots, which are usually small, tight, and dark, though their prominence can vary between different types of cedar.
Sensory and Physical Clues
Cedar wood possesses distinctive sensory and physical properties. Its unique aromatic scent is often described as fresh, woody, spicy, or resinous. This aroma is typically stronger when the wood is freshly cut or sanded, as this releases natural oils. The scent acts as a natural insect repellent, which is why cedar is often used in chests and closet linings.
Cedar is a relatively soft wood, meaning it can dent more easily compared to many hardwoods. Its grain is considered closed, and the surface might feel slightly fuzzy or even chalky if aged or unfinished. Cedar is also notably lightweight due to its low density and large, open cell structure.
Common Cedar Varieties and Their Distinctions
The term “cedar” encompasses several species, each with subtle differences in appearance and properties.
Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)
This variety is recognized for its rich reddish-brown to light pinkish color, often displaying a fine, straight grain. It has a sweet or chocolate-like aroma and is known for its natural resistance to decay and insects, making it a popular choice for outdoor applications.
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
Also known as Aromatic Cedar, this variety is characterized by its vibrant reddish or purplish-brown heartwood, which contrasts sharply with its pale yellow or creamy white sapwood. It is noted for its strong, pungent aroma, commonly associated with cedar chests due to its moth-repelling qualities. It often presents with more knots compared to Western Red Cedar, and its boards tend to be narrower due to the tree’s smaller size.
Port Orford Cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
This cedar has creamy white to pale yellowish-brown heartwood. It has a fine, straight grain and a distinct pungent, ginger-like, or spicy odor when cut. Port Orford Cedar is moderately strong and hard for a softwood, providing good dimensional stability.
Differentiating Cedar from Look-Alike Woods
Distinguishing cedar from other woods with similar appearances, such as pine, fir, or redwood, requires careful observation of their combined characteristics. Pine typically presents a lighter color, ranging from cream to light brown or pale yellow. It often has more pronounced and irregular knots compared to cedar’s smaller, tighter knots. Pine usually lacks cedar’s distinct, strong aroma and tends to be heavier.
Fir woods, like Douglas Fir, are generally lighter in color, appearing as light brown or soft yellow, sometimes with reddish or orange hints. They often have a wilder grain pattern. Fir typically does not possess cedar’s characteristic aroma and is generally harder than Western Red Cedar.
Redwood shares some color similarities with cedar, exhibiting brownish-red to darker red hues. However, redwood typically has a coarser grain than Western Red Cedar and lacks its unique aromatic scent. Redwood is also often denser and stronger than cedar, and can be found in clear grades with fewer knots.