Western Red Cedar

Our log siding is milled from from Western red cedar, as well as pine and spruce. Western red cedar 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 red cedar is known for its resistance to insect attack and decay. One cedar tree that 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 red cedar 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, red cedar has a lot of character. The western red cedar should not be confused with the Eastern red cedar (aromatic cedar) which is used for cedar chests and paneling.

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