Shop Tennessee Cedar

Edensaw Woods, situated in Washington state, is a leading domestic woods supplier known for providing a wide variety of tennessee cedar domestic woods appropriate for remodeling, construction, and woodworking applications. We take great pride in continually exceeding expectations in order to provide quality products and services to our consumers. Tennessee cedar, commonly known as eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), is a native North American coniferous tree prized for its unique characteristics. Because of its distinct qualities, it reigns supreme among domestic woods, making it a popular choice for a variety of woodworking projects such as linen and blanket chests, furniture, closet linings, musical instruments, veneer, and protected exterior constructions.

Tennessee Cedar Wood Properties:

• Color/Appearance: Domestic tennessee cedar wood has a warm, vibrant reddish-brown heartwood with a pale yellow sapwood. With age, the heartwood naturally darkens and can take on a richer, more mahogany-like appearance.
  
  
• Grain/Texture: Features a generally tight, straight grain with frequent knots. The knots are often praised for their aesthetic value and characteristic look. It is classified as a softwood.
  
  
• Endgrain: The wood is porous and soft. Its density is approximately $33 \text{ lbs/ft}^3$, which contributes to its light weight and insulating qualities. The Janka hardness rating is approximately 900 lbf.
  
  
• Rot Resistance: Contains natural oils (phenols) that provide excellent natural resistance to decay, rot, and moisture. This quality makes it suitable for certain outdoor and high-humidity applications.
  
  
• Workability: Works well with hand and power tools, but since it is a soft wood, sharp blades are required to avoid tear-out and crushing the fibers. It holds fasteners well but is prone to denting.
  
  
• Odor: Produces a pleasant, strong, aromatic, cedar-like odor that is naturally moth-repellent and long-lasting, making it a favorite for closet linings.
  
  
• Common Uses: Aromatic closet linings, blanket chests, dressers, cabinetry, exterior constructions (decks, fencing - when properly maintained), and pencils.
  
  

Tennessee Cedar vs. Western Red Cedar? For customers in the Pacific Northwest, understanding the difference between the domestic Tennessee Cedar (Eastern Redcedar) and Western Red Cedar is crucial:

• Primary Use: Tennessee Cedar is valued primarily for its aromatic qualities and use in interiors (closets, chests) to repel insects. Western Red Cedar is prized for its superior dimensional stability and structural use in large-scale exterior decking, siding, and roofing.
  
  
• Aesthetics: Tennessee Cedar is characterized by a high contrast between its bright sapwood and purple-red heartwood, along with numerous small knots. Western Red Cedar typically has a more uniform, muted brown-to-pink heartwood with fewer, smaller knots.
  
  
• Hardness & Structural Integrity: Tennessee Cedar is slightly harder (approx. 900 lbf) and denser than Western Red Cedar (approx. 350 lbf), offering more resistance to wear but is not generally used for heavy structural applications.
  
  
• Aroma: Tennessee Cedar has a strong, pungent, and long-lasting aroma, whereas Western Red Cedar's aroma is milder.
  
  

Care and Finishing Best Practices:

• Interior Aromatic Use: For lining closets and chests, it is best to leave the wood unfinished to allow the aromatic oils to evaporate and repel moths. If the scent fades over time, lightly sanding the surface will reactivate the oils.
  
  
• Exterior Finishing: Although naturally resistant to decay, Tennessee Cedar used outdoors (like fencing or decks) should be treated with a high-quality oil-based stain or sealant to protect it from uv damage and moisture absorption, which helps maintain its color and lengthen its life.
  
  
• Fasteners: Due to the wood's high oil content, it is highly recommended to use stainless steel or silicon bronze fasteners to prevent black staining and corrosion when attaching hardware or assembling components.
  
  

Looking for aromatic tennessee cedar lumber for closets, chests, or interior lining projects in the Pacific Northwest? Edensaw Woods (Edensaw.com) is your local domestic lumber and wood supplier based in Port Townsend-Tacoma, Washington. We offer a wide selection of top-quality domestic lumber and woods, including highly fragrant and naturally moth-resistant tennessee cedar lumber (often referred to as aromatic cedar). Serving the Seattle-Port Townsend-Tacoma area, we also carry other popular domestic species such as alder, cherry, walnut, red oak, and white oak, along with specialty cuts like red oak r/q and white oak r/q lumber. Edensaw Woods provides a full range of products and services to meet your project needs. For current stock and pricing, please contact us, and don't forget to tell us about your completed project!