White Vs. Red Cedar Furniture
Red and white cedar is used to make many kinds of furniture. These types of cedar have similar qualities, but there are some differences. If left untreated, they both weather to a silver gray. Both types of cedar won’t shrink, but white cedar may not last as long because it lacks acid tannins. Furniture made with cedar wood is good for your health, because it’s not sprayed with chemicals to preserve it. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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Cedar wood is a straight and even-grained type of wood. One reason cedar is used to make furniture is its resistance to rot and decay. It’s also a lightweight wood, which makes it easy to build with. Throughout history, red cedar has been used to make furniture and other items. Northern white cedar is related to the red cedar species. It’s native to the northeastern area of the United States and the southeastern area of Canada. Northern white cedar is a very light softwood, which also makes it easy to make furniture.
Features
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Northern white cedar and western red cedar are the most common types of cedar wood used to make furniture. Northern white cedar will not cup, or warp, but western red cedar requires vertical grain cutting to resist cupping. Both types of cedar won’t shrink and are comfortable to sit on. White cedar is a high quality wood, but it may not last as long as red cedar because it doesn’t contain as much acidic tannins, which preserve wood. White cedar may last longer if a finish is used. White cedar furniture sometimes has cracks due to the wood drying and curing.
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Benefits
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All types of cedar wood are good for your health, because it’s not treated with chemical preservatives. White cedar can be used to make indoor or outdoor furniture. The white color matches most décor styles, but it can be stained to match your décor. Red cedar is often used to make outdoor furniture for a garden or patio. White cedar has a low shrinkage factor and is often used to make outdoor log furniture. Red cedar also has a low shrinking factor, which is one reason for its dimensional stability, or strength.
Furniture
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There are many kinds of furniture that can be made from white and red cedar. Some kinds of red cedar furniture are porch swings, patio gliders, benches, picnic tables and log furniture. Armchairs and garden swings can also made from red cedar. Furniture made from white cedar may include dining, garden or picnic tables. Bookcases are also available in white cedar. There are beds made from white cedar logs available in twin, double, queen or king size.
Tone and Color
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Red cedar furniture can be dark red or light brown. It may also have warm tones of light amber to deep honey brown. Red cedar has an outstanding ability to accept and maintain a variety of finishes. White cedar is yellow-beige, creamy beige or a pinkish-white-tan color. You can also stain white cedar to match the colors of your décor. Both red and white cedar furniture will weather to silver gray if not treated, which gives it a rustic look.
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