When you’re sitting and enjoying the great outdoors in a beautiful piece of lawn furniture, you may not pause to consider the wood from which your Adirondack lawn chair was made. Often, it is the Red Cedar tree that will have been used to craft your place of comfortable relaxation. It’s not surprising that so many people prefer Red Cedar furniture, and there are plenty of reasons why.
The Western Red Cedar tree (Thuja plicata) produces a delightfully aromatic timber. It’s this wonderful smell that people often notice when enjoying an outdoor Muskoka chair, or when entering a Red Cedar furniture store. Protected from the weather, a piece of red cedar furniture will remain fragrant for many decades.
The natural preservative oils in Red Cedar furniture means that it does not require a lot of nasty chemical treatments like furniture made from other trees. The natural oils resist decay and the eventual rotting of wood. Red Cedar is often used for hot tubs, jacuzzis, and saunas because of its durability and dimensional stability.
The same natural oils that make Red Cedar so durable also make the color and texture age beautifully. Your deck chair or Jacuzzi will slowly turn to a silver gray color with darker streaks and the grain will start to rise from the wood in wonderful patterns. If you choose to add an additional protective coating to your furniture, Red Cedar is also an excellent base for finishing.
Building with Red Cedar can be a very enjoyable experience. The wood is easily worked with both hand tools and by machine. It also accepts wood screws well, making it easy to build a wonderful outdoor Adirondack chair. Finally, Red Cedar has proven to be an excellent insect repellent. It is often used in cabinets and dressers because of this property. These cabinets tend to keep away pesky insects that might try to eat holes in your clothing.
Top to bottom, Red Cedar is a wonderful timber for creating outdoor furniture.
