Products
Western Red Cedar (clear)
Known for its extremely fine and even grain, its flexibility and strength in proportion to its weight, Western Red Cedar is a species of wood whose lumber can be used in a variety of ways. Western Red Cedar is renowned for its high impermeability to liquids and its natural phenol preservatives, which make it ideally suited for exterior use and interior use where humidity is high. The cellular composition of cedar, millions of tiny air-filled cells per cubic inch, provides a high degree of thermal insulation on both roof and wall applications. Western Red Cedars' slow growth and natural oily extractives are responsible for its decay resistance and its rich coloring, which ranges from a light straw color in the sapwood to a reddish pink in the heartwood. It is a stable wood that seasons easily and quickly, with a very low shrinkage factor. It is free of pitch and has excellent finishing qualities. Western Red Cedar is GWC's main inventory item. Offered in siding patterns, paneling patterns, and boards for board-on-board siding, trim, and fascia. We also carry cedar decking, timber and beams, and shakes and shingles. Additional grades and sizes are available upon request.
Alaskan Yellow Cedar
Found only on the Pacific coast of North America, Yellow Cedar is the hardest known cedar in the world. Prized by boat builders, it has exceptional resistance to weather and insects as well as easy workability. Alaskan Yellow Cedar is one of the World's most distinctive softwoods. It's unmatched durability, fine texture, uniform color, straight grain and excellent splinter resistance combine both practicality and beauty in a single package. Since Alaskan Yellow Cedar has a short growing season, this helps to make it among the hardest known cedars in the world, with exceptional resistance to weather, insects and long-term soil contact. Yet, Alaskan Yellow Cedar is characterized by easy workability with hand or machine tools. It takes and holds nails, screw and adhesives very well. This cedar is ideally suited for high traffic applications, such as decking, stairs, ramps, walkways, stadium seating, lawn furniture, patio furniture, outdoor furniture, and children's playground equipment. With it's distinctive yellow color and handsome grain patterns, Alaskan Yellow Cedar adds warmth and beauty to many exterior and interior applications. Although it looks and performs great unfinished, Alaskan Yellow Cedar accepts finishes very well.
Incense Cedar
Incense-cedar forests are found primarily in southern Oregon and in California's Sierra Nevada mountains. Incense cedar is an ideal material for siding, decking, moulding, interior paneling, and ceiling. This type of cedar (as its name implies) is also quite aromatic. Ranked as one of the most dimensionally stable wood species, Incense-cedar stands up to wide fluctuations in temperature and humidity without warping, checking or shrinking away from fasteners. It can be hand-tooled or machine-tooled to exact tolerances, and provides a smoother, more uniform surface than pine and other softwoods. Incense-cedar is an abundant, renewable resource that is grown, managed, and harvested on a sustained-yield basis in accordance with the strictest forestry regulations in the world. The annual volume growth of Incense-cedar exceeds the annual harvest by a factor of two-to-one, ensuring an ample supply of the species well into the future.
Douglas Fir
Also known as Coast Douglas-fir, Oregon Pine, Oregon Douglas-fir, Douglas Tree, Interior Douglas-fir .This is not a fir at all but 'Pseudotsuga' or "False Hemlock" . Named after the Scottish botanist, David Douglas, who introduced many of BC's native conifers to Europe The straight grained and exceptionally strong Douglas Fir tree is one of the most dominant species in the Northwest forests. After a forest fire, the tree springs to life, growing thickly in the sunshine of a newly open area. Over the past 100 years, it has been the favorite species of civil culturists because of its fast growth and multitude of uses. Its stiffness and durability make it ideal for structural applications. It also makes a good flooring and paneling product as well as a fine trim for doors and windows. Douglas Fir is known for its distinctive grain patterns, produced by the varying degrees of spring and summer wood in the grain. The color differences between the two range from yellowish to reddish brown. Douglas Fir flooring ages to a warm orange-brown color, ideal for rooms with bright sun.
Redwood
The Redwood trees of California have been harvested since the time of the first Spanish settlers, 400 years ago. It is a highly prized lumber product renowned for several unique features. One of the most dimensionally stable of the western softwoods, redwood is not prone to checking and splitting, and therefore is less damaged by weathering. It is decay-resistant in all heartwood grades, so heartwood can be used near the ground. Redwood is more insect repellent in all-heartwood grades than other woods, yet it is lightweight. Despite being one of the lightest of softwoods Redwood provides adequate strength for a wide variety of uses. It is superior in insulation values. The minute cell structure with thousands of air-filled cavities accounts for Redwood's thermal insulation values. Redwood is easily machined, easy to saw and nail and has superior gluing properties as well as superior finish-holding ability. It is known for its easy maintenance and beautiful color: a deep reddish brown that darkens with age. Redwood is most often used for applications where high moisture levels are a problem for other types of wood. It is also specified for its exquisite coloring.
Hemlock
Hemlock is a great, economical wood for country homes and barns. It is pale in color and naturally richens over time. It can be smooth or rough sawn. Hemlock is very strong, has a long grain and is a renewable resource. It is resistant to rotting and it is also much less expensive than Douglas fir for timber frame homes. However, it does have one character flaw: certain stands of hemlock can have a defect called shake. Shake is a delamination between the timber's growth rings. We sell our hemlock shake-free!
