White Cedar Wood Products…White Cedar – a matter of tradition…

For centuries, one of Quebec’s traditions has been to usewhite cedar wood chests for protective storage of clothesagainst insect damage. Shingle roofs and decorative perchfences have always been part of Quebec’s architecturalheritage because of their unique beauty. For ages, farmershave been using white cedar posts to fence in cattle dueto the exceptionally high durability of its wood

www.quebecwoodexport.com www.canadawood.info

With the collaboration of

www.forintek.ca

Quebec Wood Export Bureau979, avenue de Bourgogne, bureau 540 Sainte-Foy (Québec) G1W 2L4

☎ 418.650.6385 e 418.650.9011 info@quebecwoodexport.com www.quebecwoodexport.com

The Q-WEB is an organisa-tion showcasing woodproducts from Quebec inexport markets. Representingmore than 200 manufacturersin different sectors, Q-WEBprovides you with directaccess to Quebec’s vastarray of wood products.

Wood – the best ecological choice

Wood is a renewable, recyclable and environmentally friendlymaterial. Scientific studies confirm that wood, wood com-ponents and houses built primarily of wood require lesseramounts of energy in their manufacture, assembly andoperation compared with typical houses built primarily ofconcrete and steel. Wood surpasses concrete and steel inenergy efficiency. In residential homes, polyvinyl chloride(PVC) takes about 13 times more primary energy for materialproduction and fabrication than wood (77.4 versus 5.8MJ/kg) according to a report by the University of Michigan.When comparing window frames manufactured withaluminium, PVC, Al-clad wood and wood, wood stillconsumes the least amount of energy, while aluminiumand PVC frames exhibit larger amounts of environmentalburdens. Furthermore, wood-imitating products like plasticswill never replace the true value of wood.

Product grades

White cedar is harvested on a limited scale comparedwith other Canadian softwood species (spruce, pine, fir).Due to its high value in appearance products and low density,it is practically never used as construction (structural)lumber. There is no specific grading system for whitecedar sidings. For all Canadian softwoods, boards withhigh quality appearance are usually graded as SelectMerchantable. The grades used for white cedar shinglesare: A (extra), B (clear), C (2nd clear), and D (includingundercourse and shims) according to Canadian StandardsAssociation standards.

Beautiful and versatile

Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) is also calledNorthern White Cedar. White cedar wood is mainly used inappearance products and is perfectly suited for both exteriorand interior applications.

Shingles is the most common use for white cedar inCanada. They are durable, functional and of distinctiveelegance, making them an excellent choice for both roofingand siding projects. Unlike other synthetic materials,(e.g. polyvinyl chloride (PVC), white cedar shingles weathernaturally to a beautiful silvery grey colour, which is highlyprized by connoisseurs. Furthermore, these shinglesrequire little or no maintenance.

White cedar is a pole species because of its high naturaldurability in contact with water and soil. White cedar logsare used as highway, fence and foundation posts, polesand piles. White cedar logs are especially appreciated forlog houses because the wood has good insulating properties,makes an excellent sound barrier and prevents heat loss.White cedar dries without difficulties, and has good gluingand finishing properties.

Exceptionally durable

White cedar is known for its high resistance to decay andinsect damage. The aromatic compounds of its wood act asnatural preservatives that are toxic to decay-causing fungi.These compounds give houses a warm “cedary” fragrance.White cedar wood does not usually require treatment toinsure long service life in exterior applications (e.g. roof,decking, fence etc.). As an example, the average service life ofuntreated posts from white cedar is 27 years comparativelyto 5 years for posts from black spruce, according to testsconducted by Canada’s Wood Products Research Institute,Forintek Canada Corp. However, increased longevity andfine architectural effects can be achieved by applying stainsto white cedar products.

The wood of white cedar is typically straight and even-grained, fine-textured and very light. Compared withwestern red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don.), thewood of white cedar is lighter in colour, finer in textureand generally has less-prominent growth rings. Whitecedar is among the most dimension-stable species of allconiferous species grown in Canada.

The basic density of white cedar (oven-dry weight dividedby green volume) is about 299 kg/m3. Its volumetricshrinkage is only 3.8 % from green to air-dry (12 % moisturecontent) and 6.8 % when kiln-dried according to testsconducted by Forintek Canada Corp. A study whose resultswere published in the Journal of Forestry revealed thatthe basic density of Eastern white cedar (oven-dry weightdivided by green volume) is approximately 299 kg/m.

Interior applicationsinclude: ■ siding, ■ ceiling, ■ woodwork, ■ furniture.

Exterior applicationsinclude: ■ shingles, ■ exterior trim and siding, ■ window frames, ■ fencing, ■ garden furniture.