Denver (303) 647-9185 Arvanda (303) 625-6442 Colorado Springs (719) 354-2085 Everything Cedar Denver 11722 W 44th Ave., Wheat Ridge, CO (303) 647-9185 Arvada 5075 Tabor Street, Wheat Ridge, CO (303) 625-6442 Colorado Springs 10605 Charter Oak Ranch Rd, Fountain, CO (719) 354-2085 What You’ll Find On This Page General Information What cedar is, and the pros & cons of using the material. Product Information Decking, fencing, and siding. We’ve got it all! Maintenance, Stain, and More Whether you are looking to stain, paint, or even give your cedar a distressed look, we have the information you’re searching for! What is Cedar? Cedar is a species of wood that is commonly used for a lot of construction, DIY, and home improvement projects such as decking, fencing and siding. Cedar is very durable and sustainable because it adapts to whatever climate it is in. For example, some woods tend to soak up moisture in humidity or shrink in colder temperatures, which can cause defects in building and in your home improvement projects. Cedar has its pros and cons just like every building material, however the pros outweigh the cons by far. We are going to dive into each type of most commonly used cedar products, the good and the bad, things to watch out for, and answer some frequently asked questions. We get a lot when it comes to cedar. Pros and Cons of Cedar Let’s talk about the pros and cons of just cedar as simply a species of wood. One of the main reasons that cedar is a go to building material especially among homeowners, is because of its raw and natural beauty. Cedar’s natural look is very popular among designers because the knots and wood grain are so fine and vibrant. That is a very sought after benefit that cedar has to offer. Pros: Natural wood look that people love Cedar is resistant to rot, which makes it easy to care for Doesn’t not absorb water or moisture. With other species of wood, if exposed to moisture the wood will warp, twist, crack, and rot which then causes problems down the line. With cedar, you cut this out in its entirety. Cedar has a lifespan of 20 years with little to no defects in its earlier years. Versatile in the sense that cedar can be left natural, painted, or stained and look great! Cons: If cedar is painted or stained, the color will naturally fade and need to be touched up. Since cedar is a soft wood, it will scratch easier than hardwood. Already Know About Cedar? Call now to get wholesale pricing on a variety of cedar products! GET IN TOUCH Popular Cedar Decking Two examples of cedar lumber that are commonly used are Western Red Cedar and Port Orford Cedar, both of which have similar attributes but differences that make them stand out from one another. Western Red Cedar Western Red Cedar has extreme beauty and is extremely durable, which makes it a great material for decking. Cedar already has a natural beauty that everyone loves, but add the look and vibrancy of Western Red Cedar and you get the best of both worlds. Port Orford Cedar This type of cedar holds true to all the attributes that traditional cedar has, such as low maintenance, durability, strength, and the natural beauty. The main difference between Port Orford Cedar and Western Red Cedar is the blonde coloration that it portrays. This cedar gets its color because it is grown on the coast on Oregon and California, which allows it to have high definition knots and intense wood grain. FAQs About Cedar When Used For Decking Why Should I Use Cedar for My Deck? How Workable is Cedar? Will Cedar Last in Any Weather Condition? Is Cedar a Stable Solution? Cedar Fencing Your fence is what enhances the curb appeal of your home. Without a fence, your home is left unsecured, plain, and with a lesser value. One of the main reasons homeowners install a fence is for the privacy and protection of being able to enjoy their backyard space without nosy neighbors or unwanted visitors in the way. When installing a privacy fence in your home, you can use anything from spruce, pine, or fir but cedar, just like when its used for decking, is ideal for outdoor projects for your home. Affordability Cedar fencing is relatively affordable compared to other species of wood used for fencing. We totally get it when you need to budget and be very careful on where your money goes when installing a fence. A fence can become very high in cost fast and before you know it, you have blown your budget. Thankfully with privacy fencing, you can determine how much material you will need by calculating the number of posts every 8 feet. Once you know this, you can calculate how many pickets you need and go from there. One of the benefits with cedar privacy fencing is that cedar is very easy to work with and can be installed in many ways. You can keep it simple and standard with the traditional cedar fence or you can get decorative and paint/stain your fence once it is installed to enhance the design. There are many different design options for cedar fencing. Ask your contractor before the project begins and see what inspiration they can give. Cedar Shiplap Siding Shiplap, whether it is on the interior or exterior of your home, is a great accent and way to increase the overall look and value of your home. Cedar, like we keep saying, is so versatile which means you can use it outdoors or indoors without any issues. Shiplap offers an overlapped look that adds texture and depth to any room in your house when used indoors. When used outdoors it follows the same attributes as traditional siding with a smoother look. FAQ’s About Shiplap What Benefits Does Shiplap Offer? What Species of Wood is Recommended for Shiplap? What Should You Prime the Back of Shiplap With? Cedar Tongue and Groove With this type of siding, you have the ribs and the tongues on the edges of the board that help the boards fit together and give the home a nice flow. This type of siding can be installed both vertically and horizontally which makes it versatile based on your design. Cedar T&G is perfect for the exterior of your home to accent the curb appeal of your home. FAQ’s About Cedar T&G How does Tongue and Groove Siding Compare to Other Types of Siding? How Easy is it to Repair T&G Siding? Is Caulking the Ends Necessary? Cedar Channel Rustic Siding If you are looking for a siding option that looks very rustic and rugged, channel rustic siding is the way to go. This type of siding looks very natural but also looks great on a house that is in the mountains. Normally channel siding is supplied in unseasoned knotty grade and the face side is textured. The most common size you will find channel rustic siding in is 1×6, 1×8, and 1×10. This type of siding is the easiest to install out of all the different kinds of siding. This siding can also be installed horizontally, vertically or diagonally which makes designing your home fun because you can get a unique as you want with it. FAQ’s About Channel Rustic Is Channel Siding Reversible? What are Some Ways that I can Extend the Life of My Siding? Cedar Shake Siding Cedar shake siding is an alternative to traditional siding and gives your home a different look. There are many different options to choose from, from standard shingle panels, corner systems to tie everything in together. Typically, there are three different exposures you can choose from which are 7 1/8”, 5.3”, and 4.25”. There are also specialty options that your supplier can order for certain designs if you are wanting a certain cut or style. Interested In Any of the Products Listed Above? We here at Rocky Mountain Forest Products have been in business since 1974, and are proud to offer wholesale pricing on our products to both contractors and individuals! Learn More or Get a Quote Today! DENVER COLORADO SPRINGS ARVADA Maintenance on Cedar Dust, Dirt, and Debris Mildew Excessive Moisture Rust Staining Peeling/Blistering Paint Now all these possibilities are very rare and typically cedar is resistant to a lot of damage that it is exposed to. If you take care of your cedar and perform regular upkeep, the chances of you having any of these problems are slim! Staining Your Deck Before you take the steps to stain your cedar, you want to ask yourself a few questions. The first one is how much of the wood do you want to cover up? Cedar has a very vibrant natural beauty that a lot of people don’t want to cover up. You can use a lighter stain and accentuate the wood grain of the cedar, but the darker you go the more you will be covering up. Once you know how dark or light you want to go, you can start with the process of staining. Once you install your cedar, if it is on the exterior of your home, you have about a two-week period to treat it before the wood will start to change color naturally. All cedar treatments, like house paint, have pigments and solids and the more pigmented the color is, the longer the cedar will last. Treating with a Bleaching Oil If you want your cedar to have a gray and rugged look, but you also want the protection of having a protective layer, you will need to take an unnatural step and use bleaching oil. The oil will tone your wood to be a light shade of gray. Over a period of time, the oil will give your wood a bleached process and look weathered. Staining Cedar with a Transparent Stain With cedar a stain that is transparent is the perfect way to get the natural cedar beauty and have the protection of stain. This type of stain requires you to follow an application, so make sure to follow the directions for the specific stain you are using. Staining with a Solid Color Solid color stains don’t have a lot of paint particles, which allows you to color your cedar while still getting the pattern and texture of the wood grain. Stain is relatively easy to apply with the proper materials. Painting Your Cedar Painting cedar can be a little trickier, because you want to make sure you prime the surface and the wood is not at all moist when you apply the paint or else it may flake. Cedar has larger pores, which means you will want to use primer so keep the paint from soaking into the wood and affecting the color. Cedar is a very versatile wood that is perfect for any environment and any project that comes your way. We hope that this page to all things cedar really helps you determine which cedar product is right for you and how to take care of your cedar to expand its lifespan. We are excited for you to start your renovation today! Call Us for Pricing and Questions DENVER (303) 647-9185 Colorado Springs (719) 354-2085 ARVADA (303) 625-6442 IMPORTANT LINKS Decking Fencing Siding Blue Stain Timbers CONTACT US Denver Location Arvada Location Colorado Springs Location About Us Blog Privacy Policy FOLLOW US