Garden Accessories | Benefits Of Western Red Cedar For Adirondack Chairs And Garden Accessories
With all the new technologies coming out, it’s tempting to buy plastic or composite outdoor furniture that claims no maintenance, no staining, lasts forever. But don’t disregard the natural warmth and beauty of Clear-Grained Western Red Cedar when thinking about your outdoor space. Plastic or composite just can’t compare. Western Red Cedar is also a much better option than many other wood products. After all, people have been using real Western Red Cedar in outdoor applications for centuries!
Cedar wood itself comes in a few quality grades. Clear-Grained Western Red Cedar, and Clear Western Red Cedar are the best quality. They come from the heart of the tree and just outside of it. They both have a beautiful fine grain, and are virtually knot-free. There is also the Knotty Cedar which comes from the outer portion of the tree and has the least fine grain and also, as the name implies, has knots. Knots are where the branches were growing out from the tree. You might see this grade referred to as “Rustic”.
What makes this wood a better choice than a plastic chair, or even another wood species chair, are all the wonderful inherent qualities of real Western Red Cedar. The benefits are almost endless.
Western Red Cedar:
- Will not warp. It will lay flat and straight naturally. Cedar is a lightweight wood, but still very stable. And it’s 80% the strength of Oak. In other wood species you might find checking and cracking, but Cedar will resist.
- Stays cool. Which means you can sit comfortably and relax even on the warmest days. Cedar also has inherent bacterial and fungal resistance, a great feature for your Adirondack chairs, other outdoor furniture, and garden accessories.
- Will not rot. There are oils in the cedar fibers that will work to resist rot or decay. It’s a natural occurring feature of Cedar. This will make it a great furniture choice to use around your pool, hot tub, or in humid climates.
- Smells wonderful! We, as humans, love that great cedar smell, but insects, moths and other pests do not. It’s been used for storage chests and in closets for just that reason. That distinct smell comes from Thujaplicins which is a naturally occurring compound in cedar.
- Is not chemically treated. There is some outdoor furniture out there made from chemically treated woods. Although they may hold up outdoors, the chemicals used to treat the wood are so strong they need warning labels for the people that work with it. Copper, arsenic and chromium are three of the primary ingredients. Arsenic? Although it’s been shown that almost no inorganic arsenic is absorbed through the skin, it can be readily ingested. Children would probably be most affected by this since the potential exposure from hand to mouth would be most at risk.
- Will not bow or sag, unlike plastic or resin outdoor furniture.
People have used Western Red Cedar for all kinds of outdoor applications, not just outdoor furniture. Shingles, fences and posts, even small boat hulls. It’s been shown that untreated and uncovered Western Red Cedar furniture left outdoors year ’round will last a minimum of 8-10 years. Bring it in for the winter, or cover it, and it will last twice that long!Â
All it takes is a just bit of care to keep your Cedar furniture looking good for many years to come. It can be used safely in all areas because it is non-toxic. And, that lovely cedar smell will remain to add another wonderful characteristic to your outdoor space.
And, we haven’t even gotten to its environmental benefits! Next time…
L.S. Smith runs an online site for high quality, Clear-grained Western Red Cedar adirondack chairs, outdoor furniture, and garden accessories.
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