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When you go through a Log Home show or magazine most people end up more confused than when they started. Years of studies and research from the USDA Dept of Forestry has show that Cedar, specifically Northern White Cedar, is one of the best woods to use for building log homes. The USDA Forestry Division ranks it as one of the three best woods to use in exterior building. White Cedar has the lowest shrinkage factor, lowest moisture content of approximately 19%, increasing stability, resistance to rot & decay and allowing for a natural, air-dried building product that requires very little maintenance. It is one of the most versatile woods available. It has a molecular structure that gives it high thermal efficiency, and in fact, it has the highest R-Factor (a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry) of all domestic woods which means the best insulating qualities for your new log home. Cedar is one of the only three woods allowed by National BOCA Code to be used to build a deck or porch without pressure treating for rot, fungi, and wood infesting insects.
The following graph compares White Cedar to another commonly used building wood, Pine. When compared side by side its astonishing the difference the type of wood you use makes!!
Wood Specie Characteristics | Northern White Cedar | Yellow & White Pines |
Decay & Rot Resistance |
Yes |
No |
Low Moisture Content |
Yes |
No |
Heartwood In Every Milled Log |
Yes |
No |
Minimal Checking |
Yes |
No |
High Natural Durability |
Yes |
No |
Can Be Air-Dried |
Yes |
No |
Checks Can Penetrate Heartwood |
No |
Yes |
Left Untreated, Life Expectancy |
50 + Yrs |
3-7 Yrs |
Moisture Content Per Cord |
3500 lbs. |
4700 lbs. |
R-Value Per Inch |
1.41 |
1.12 |
Thermal Mass Factor |
3.78 |
2.76 |