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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Eastern Red Cedar for a cabin
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fthurber
Member
# Posted: 20 Nov 2010 19:37
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I know a guy who is selling a big batch of dry rough-sawn eastern red cedar and I was wondering if I could use it for siding for my cabin. I am worried it might split and crack. Also it might smell like I am living in a hamster cage.

Thoughts?

nathanprincipe
Member
# Posted: 20 Nov 2010 20:05
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Its a common siding where I live, and it doesnt really smell that strong

fthurber
Member
# Posted: 20 Nov 2010 21:00
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Wow. Now that I think of it I seem to remember (from reading the Hardscrabble / Brazos books by John Graves) that Texas has a ton of it growing wild; I have to assume it is the same species. It grows like a weed also here in abandoned fields in coastal New England but I have never heard of anyone using the wood nor any sawmill offering it.

Our eastern red cedar wood usually has a ton of knots but I have not seen this sawn lumber yet. It has been drying in a guys basement next to the woodstove for 4 years; I guess if it is going to split it has already.

He also has Atlantic white cedar; in general that is a magnificent wood. So much so that it is used for boat building.

Rob_O
# Posted: 20 Nov 2010 22:18
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We put cedar Board & Batten siding on my friends lil' house, and I'll be doing the same on my cabin. Buying from the local mill it will cost me less than hardi-board clapboards

fthurber
Member
# Posted: 20 Nov 2010 22:29
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Quoting: Rob_O
We put cedar Board & Batten siding on my friends lil' house, and I'll be doing the same on my cabin. Buying from the local mill it will cost me less than hardi-board clapboards


Nice! But we are talking eastern red cedar right? Not the beautiful western cedar?

I have never ever heard of eastern red ceda used locally except for cedar chest.

Maybe I should buy that pile of cedar boards...

Rob_O
# Posted: 20 Nov 2010 22:43
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Can't get much more east'r than KY

At the mill, it's $4 for a 1" * 6" * 8' board

fthurber
Member
# Posted: 21 Nov 2010 11:59
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Quoting: Rob_O
Can't get much more east'r than KY

At the mill, it's $4 for a 1" * 6" * 8' board


How much is that a board foot? Seems reasonable.

The price for the local cedar is $400 for about 280 board feet.

No problems with splitting etc.?

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 21 Nov 2010 14:14
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Quoting: SquidLips
Nice! But we are talking eastern red cedar right? Not the beautiful western cedar?

I have never ever heard of eastern red ceda used locally except for cedar chest.

Maybe I should buy that pile of cedar boards...



Are you referring to the Tennessee red cedar like used in hope chest? and closets? I love the smell of that stuff. Cedar ages nice. If left untreated, it develops a nice "silver" or silvering affect.

Jerry
Member
# Posted: 21 Nov 2010 23:51
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According to my wood book, Eastern Red Cedar is stable and very decay resistant. The heartwood is deep red in color, and generally the wood is straight grained and knotty. Sounds like it would make great exterior siding.

fthurber
Member
# Posted: 22 Nov 2010 17:26
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Or even interior! I would smell like a hamster after a night in the cabin though. The knots would not cause problems and eventually fall out?

There is a mix of red and one of my favorite woods--Atlantic white cedar. The guy who is selling hauled the white of a swamp; the sapwood had rotted off leaving the heartwood which he had milled.

Jerry
Member
# Posted: 22 Nov 2010 22:46
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Next summer I'll be able to tell you how it works for interior paneling. I'ver got a 100 year old squared log cabin I dismantled, was thinking of rebuilding it, but I'm now going to have the logs milled into 1" boards. The logs are eastern red cedar. I'm going to use the boards as paneling in a sauna/bar building at my lake place.

fthurber
Member
# Posted: 25 Nov 2010 10:00
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Quoting: Jerry
Next summer I'll be able to tell you how it works for interior paneling. I'ver got a 100 year old squared log cabin I dismantled, was thinking of rebuilding it, but I'm now going to have the logs milled into 1" boards. The logs are eastern red cedar. I'm going to use the boards as paneling in a sauna/bar building at my lake place.


Wow. Sounds nice. I still have not decided on buying the cedar boards

consultant steve
# Posted: 26 Jan 2012 21:02
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I am thinking of using red cedar in a cabin on Lake O Pines in East Texas I have plans to use it on the exterior as well as the floor because I have enough to build an entire house. Looking for ideas and pending problems using the wood.

turkeyhunter
Member
# Posted: 26 Jan 2012 21:22
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i put 3 eastern red cedar beams in my den area of my cabin--- they look great and everyone who walks in the cabin---coments on how good it looks and how nice the cedar smells---- i guess i am use to the smell.

toddheyn
Member
# Posted: 27 Jan 2012 06:51
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Quoting: SquidLips
Quoting: Rob_O
Can't get much more east'r than KY

At the mill, it's $4 for a 1" * 6" * 8' board

How much is that a board foot? Seems reasonable.


That is $1 per board foot.

toyota_mdt_tech
Member
# Posted: 3 Feb 2012 13:12
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Quoting: SquidLips
I know a guy who is selling a big batch of dry rough-sawn eastern red cedar and I was wondering if I could use it for siding for my cabin. I am worried it might split and crack. Also it might smell like I am living in a hamster cage.Thoughts?



I'd get some siding from Home Depot (just kidding S/L :D

I love cedar, it does smell nice, but the smell does go away. It should make great siding. It may split if its thin.

redlandfd
Member
# Posted: 10 Feb 2012 12:50
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I'm putting it on a cabin now, didn't give it a second thought really. It cuts well and holds up well. We'll stain and seal it with a brown semi-transparent. I recommend it, it'll save you some bucks. We are using 1x8's 8' with a 1x6 batten; full 1 inch stock, paid about a $1.05 per bd ft, no tax

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