Properly Finished & Refreshed, Western Red Cedar will Gracefully Weather a Lifetime
by Thom Inman - Master Craftsman Carving Custom Wood Signs for 60 years
Western Red Cedar is one of the few wood species that are just naturally at home outdoors. When properly finished, Western Red Cedar will gracefully weather for decades, even in the harshest environments. Its natural resistance to moisture, decay, and insect damage makes it the ideal choice for a surface exposed to sun, rain, heat, and cold all year round. For centuries, aboriginals have used cedar bark along British Columbia's Pacific coast to make rope, clothing, and baskets. The logs were used for canoes, totem poles, masks, and long houses. The hallmark characteristic of Western Red Cedar, its natural durability, has preserved examples of native culture for more than 200 years. For centuries, builders and artisans have valued Western Red Cedar for its natural beauty and durability. Cedar's unique aroma comes from naturally occurring thujaplicins in its heartwood. This is separate from the incense quality of Eastern Red Cedar, which is an entirely different species of Cedar altogether. It is used for closet linings and the interior of hope chests.As many homeowners are too well aware, readying their deck for summer is all about tending to their "thujaplicins." These aren't exotic plants or endangered species. They are the fragrant natural compounds that give western red its pleasant aroma and protect the wood from deterioration. These compounds resist moisture, are toxic to decay-causing fungi and insects, and preserve the wood to give it long-lasting appeal. Unfinished cedar has richly textured grain with colors ranging from mellow ambers, reddish cinnamon, and rich sienna browns. Western Red Cedar's uniform, fine-grained texture with a satin-like luster complements its warm coloring. It is virtually pitch and resin-free, so the wood readily accepts oil-based finishes, tinted, stained, or solid coating like paint.
While cedar naturally weathers to an attractive silver-gray patina over time, it's crucial to understand that some protective finish is strongly recommended to prevent surface degradation. Weathered surfaces provide a poor substrate for solid finishes; even a few weeks of exposure can decrease cedar's ability to hold a finish. Once the finish-wood interface fails, the coating will debond, blister, crack, flake, or peel. The longer the period of weathering, the more rapidly the finish may fail. It's essential to understand that transparent, non-flexible, film-forming finishes such as lacquer, shellac, polyurethane, or varnish are not recommended for exterior use on cedar and should be avoided altogether. When exposed to ultraviolet radiation, these finishes will degrade the wood due to a greenhouse effect. Regardless of the number of coats, the finish will eventually become brittle, develop severe cracks, and fail. Applying finishes that contain ultraviolet blockers can most appropriately retain the natural coloration of newly milled cedar. Finishes containing both an effective mildewcide and ultraviolet protection are recommended. Which, of course, brings us to our proprietary outdoor FINISH REFRESHER. Use it at least every other summer, and your Carved Cedar Signs will "Gracefully Weather a Lifetime!"™
May the Forest be with you
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