Red Canadian cedar

The Canadian cedar is named after the species name of a coniferous heat-loving tree that grows in Asia Minor, in the east and south of the Mediterranean, perhaps because of its gigantic size and the same durability. Among biologists, the plant is known as Thuja plicata. In Our Country, this type of large cypress trees is called giant thuja or folded thuja.

What does Canadian cedar look like and where does it grow?

The tree, legendaryly called red cedar among lumberjacks and builders, belongs, like all arborvitae, to the genus Cypress. The distribution area is the Pacific coast of North America. In places where Canadian cedar grows, damp and marshy, slightly acidic soils predominate. Precipitation is plentiful all year round, winters are mild. The forests in this part of the continent are dense, shady, and consist of mighty conifers: pine, hemlock, larch, and fir. There are also different types of thuja.

Canadian cedar is an evergreen tree with a dense columnar crown. Trunk up to 20-30 and more meters. The diameter of the butt is more than a meter, in some surviving specimens it reaches 2,5-5 m. Horizontally raised branches extend from the trunk, forming a slender pyramidal tree silhouette. The lower branches descend to the ground. The plant lives for centuries, acquiring a majestic appearance. For the most part, for this reason and due to the strength of valuable wood, the pioneers called thuja folded cedar.

Many varieties of thuja folded grow in gardens up to 10-16 m, but with a compact crown they occupy only 3-5 m in diameter. The tree is fast-growing, growth is 25-28 cm per year, in diameter – 9-11 cm. The bark of a soft brown hue was used by the Indians as a fiber. The dark green needles of the Canadian cedar are scaly, hard, shiny, with whitish stripes below. Cones, green in summer, oval, 10 cm long, turn brown in winter. Now breeders have bred dwarf varieties of Canadian cedar, which are in great demand among landscape designers.

Characteristics of wood

Canadian cedar has unique properties:

• is considered one of the most durable wood raw materials, which is equated with metal;
• famous for its resistance to decay;
• not affected by mold;
• the boards are painted in a pleasant reddish, sometimes yellowish, color with shades of amber, pink or chocolate, depending on the age of the tree and the part of the trunk from which they are taken;
• products are characterized by a remarkable feature – a specific refreshing smell of red cedar wood, which lasts more than 3 years.

The use of Canadian cedar in construction

The specific qualities of the material from thuja folded determine its popularity, primarily in the construction of luxury housing. The most expensive yachts are also built using durable and water-resistant red cedar wood. The undeniable value of imported material from the giant thuja determines its high cost.

Canadian cedar for a bath

There is a tradition in the world to build baths and individual infrared cabins from red cedar boards, as well as to sheathe bathrooms with them. Premises lined with a profile made of this material heat up 3-5 times faster than others finished with hardwood boards.

Canadian cedar for the sauna is the best fit:

• boards have the property of excellent thermal insulation;
• weakly absorbs moisture;
• sheathing is hardy to the features of the room – temperature changes and high humidity;
• the hot shelf does not burn the skin upon contact;
• walls lined with red cedar will give visitors to the bath an invigorating aroma of essential oils, which not only have a beneficial effect on the respiratory system, but also relieve fatigue and anxiety;
• at the same time, the material does not emit a lot of resin, like conifers;
• the finish has a wonderful fine-grained smooth texture and a wide range of shades.

When decorating in red cedar baths, it is not recommended to use iron nails, staples and screws, but stainless steel or aluminum fasteners.

Canadian cedar houses

Residential buildings built from red cedar are as durable as trees. Facades and interiors of houses are sheathed with durable clapboard, it adds an aesthetic component to its practical value, creating elegance and a certain refined style with its texture. Strong floors are laid from it in ordinary residential buildings. But due to its low density, Canadian cedar is not used to build stairs and floors in office buildings where there is a constant influx of people. In Canada, shingles and shingles from thuja folded are used for the construction of roofs.

Among the advantages of the material from the giant thuja are mentioned:

• thermal insulation properties that retain the atmosphere of the room for a long time, surpassing brick and concrete;
• red cedar wood slowly succumbs to fire, so the material does not lend itself to special processing;
• non-susceptibility to insects, pests of wooden products;
• the ability to exude a fresh smell of the breed for a long time.

Joinery

Red cedar serves in the homeland as durable blanks for power line supports, poles in the construction of fences. This is the most popular material for creating objects that are susceptible to atmospheric influences: piers, terraces, balconies. It is also suitable for making outdoor furniture. From the boards of thuja folded wood, products and three-dimensional structures are made for finishing inside buildings:

• frames;
• door frames and canvases;
• handrails;
• railing.

Canadian cedar wood parts stick together well. This method is recommended for the manufacture of tables and cabinets. There is an opinion that in wardrobes made of thuja folded wood, which does not lend itself to pest grinders, moths do not start.

Operational features of the tree

Red cedar wood has a successful combination of valuable technical and aesthetic qualities. The material is used without restrictions for outdoor objects, creating original outdoor furniture. Indoors, boards are used for all kinds of furniture designs, finishes in any room. But wood clearly shows its feature of not succumbing to the influence of humid air as a lining for bathrooms, baths or saunas. The practical advantages of the Canadian cedar are joined by the elegance of the design of the finishing panels and the forest aroma that lasts for many years.

When operating houses and products from thuja folded, some other points are taken into account:

• wood is poorly impregnated during processing;
• due to their low density, the boards are unsuitable as steps for stairs, as they wear out quickly, like floors in public buildings;
• from the active release of red cedar essential oils, allergic reactions may occur in people prone to such diseases.

Application in landscape design

Slender pyramidal giant arborvitae, or red cedars, as they are called in another way, organically fit into a well-groomed garden with a large area of ​​lawns. In the arsenal of landscape designers there are many options for compositions with this majestic plant, even in its dwarf form:

• creation of strict alleys;
• imposing tapeworms or groups of 2-3 specimens;
• landings in the entrance area;
• picturesque hedgerows.

Interesting compositions with variegated needles. Dwarf specimens look best planted in groups. Thuja folded successfully combined with their original neighbors: different types of pines, hemlock, fir, cypress. They tolerate a haircut well, grow back quickly. The most popular varieties:

• excellent;
• Cornish;
• Zebrina;
• Atrovirens;
• Daniellow;
• Goldy;
• can-can;

Red cedar is quite frost-resistant, but in the early years it will be necessary to cover the seedlings, because the climate of central Our Country is more severe than on the Pacific coast of America. All plants are sold acclimatized, grown in domestic nurseries from seeds.

Conclusion

Canadian cedar and its varietal varieties are an original solution for a bright focus spot in a garden composition. Genuine imported giant arborvitae wood is the most valuable material in construction.