YELLOW-CEDAR CHARACTERISTICS

Durability
A tough wood that is weather resistant. Used for decks, posts, pilings, marine pilings, exterior doors and windows, fences, paneling, house siding and shakes.

Rot resistant
Used for centuries for boat-building, oars, paddles and other marine craft. Other uses include docks, boardwalks and construction in environmentally-sensitive areas.

Termite resistant
The natural oil (nootkatone) in Yellow Cedar's wood chemistry is its "secret weapon" against termites. The heartwood has characteristics that give it natural resistance to the Formosan termite - one of the most destructive household pests in the U.S.

Chemical resistant
Yellow-Cedar used in wooden tanks, vats and flumes is resistant to acid solutions.

High strength
Yellow-Cedar is stronger than Red Cedar. Structural grades find use in bridges and specialty construction projects

Workability
Yellow-Cedar is very easy to work; prized for joinery and carpentry, decorative paneling, furniture, moldings and cabinetwork. Glues well. Excellent nail holding.

Tight grain
It is not uncommon to see 50-60 annual rings per inch. Its fine, even texture makes it a top choice for carvings and turnings. Its light buttery color is ideal for fine furniture. Used outside in its natural state, Yellow-Cedar turns an attractive silver grey color.

Fire resistant
Better flame break-through than other softwoods

Competitive cost
The environmentally-friendly harvesting of under-utilized low grade Yellow-Cedar results in competitive costing with comparable traditional or treated wood products.

Use in regions of high humidity and temperatures
In Japan, Yellow-Cedar is highly prized in exposed/untreated buildings such as shrines, or more recently as sill plates in house foundations. The Japanese building code standards specifically cite Yellow-Cedar as allowable in uses where "high decay inhibition and high termite proof performance" are required.

Testing at the University of Hawaii by Dr. J. Kenneth Grace on the resistance of naturally durable woods, including Yellow-Cedar, to the Formosan Subterranean Termites found "Our results indicate that these naturally durable woods compare favorably in termite resistance to preservative-treated wood."