Cedar is a soft, very stable wood. For that reason it has historically been used in high humidity areas such as in kitchens, baths and steam saunas. Cedar is a very easy wood to work with: one of the main characteristics of cedar lumber is that it lays flat and stays flat. The most obvious way to identify cedar lumber is to simply smell it; cedar has a distinctive aromatic scent. Cedar lumber comes in different grades and is priced accordingly. more »

Cedar lumber comes in a variety of types and grades. This can make it difficult to know when a piece of cedar lumber is the best possible wood for a specific project. To figure out whether the particular piece of lumber is the right quality for the job, it's necessary to know what a high-quality cedar board looks like and how cedar is graded. more »

Cedar lumber is ideal for exterior home protection because it deteriorates very slowly, and it is available in different grades including vertical grain, horizontal grain and various levels of clearness. Choose the right cedar lumber for the job with instructions from an experienced carpenter and construction specialist in this free video on carpentry. more »

Cedar lumber is a member of the redwood family, and it is desirable in that it deteriorates very slowly, thus making it useful for lap siding on the exterior of homes. Find out how cedar lumber is used in shims for leveling cabinets with help from a certified home inspector in this free video on home carpentry. more »

The best way to care for cedar lumber is by painting or staining it. Before painting it, you should prime the cedar. Whether it is used for siding, a deck, railing, or another purpose, cedar lumber should be painted or stained to lengthen its life. Cedar wood has a natural chemical that makes it resistant to rot and decay. The treatment only offers a resistance, not a cure from rot and decay, so painting the lumber will greatly extend the life of the lumber. more »

Removing paint from cedar lumber works much the same as removing it from regular wood. There are three primary methods that are used; sanding, chemical stripping, or applying heat and scraping the paint off. Each of the three methods will be discussed below. more »

Cutting and working with treated lumber is similar to working with regular or cedar lumber except for a few key differences. There are also certain safety precautions that you should take and ways to fortify the cut areas after cutting. more »

Stain cedar lumber to protect it from fading in sunlight and from moisture erosion. Western red cedar has beautiful colors at all stages of fading, but the wood deteriorates if it's not protected from the elements. Use a quality semitransparent wood stain on cedar siding, exterior trim, fences, decks and sheds to preserve the integrity of the wood while maintaining its natural color. more »

Cedar and pressure treated (also called green treated) lumber are often used in outdoor settings. The most common use is for decks. Any outdoor wooden structure should use some sort of rot-resistant material. Other materials used for building decks are redwood and synthetic materials. Pressure-treated and cedar lumber have their distinct advantages. Both can be stained or finished and worked in the same way as other forms of lumber. more »