Top 4 Tips for Choosing Rough Cedar Lumber

[Posted on December 26th, 2014 by Aaron Presley]

When shopping for rough cedar lumber, we find that the options can be overwhelming for some of our customers. Here are four top tips that will help you decide why and how to select this type of building material:

1. Most Popular Uses for Rough-Cut Lumber

This type of wood is left unsurfaced, which leaves it with a rough and unhewn look. Typically, this type of wood is used for projects in which the wood’s natural finish will be used as part of the design. Decks, trim-work, fencing and frontage are the most common places where this type of lumber is utilized in building projects.

2. Coloring Choices for Rough Cedar Lumber

Cedar wood features a distinct red hue in the bark. However, the interior wood can vary in color depending on the source. For example, Western red cedar wood features a light-brown coloring, while Northern white cedar wood has a lighter hue that is often yellow or white. When selecting lumber for a project, look at all of the lumber side-by-side to make sure that they match up somewhat in coloring. This way your project will not feature one or two oddly hued boards. Alternatively, you can create a pattern with the wood if you select a wide array of hues for your lumber.

3. Choosing a Size of Rough-Cut Boards

When ordering this type of wood, the measurements will be taken in quarter-inch increments. Sizes start at four-quarters, which is the thinnest, measuring 1-inch in thickness. Note that when these boards are transformed using a planer or sander, they will decrease in width by approximately 3/16ths to 1/4 of an inch.

4. Go Big, Go Long and Go for More

Choosing a rough lumber means that there will inevitably be boards that contain wild grain, knots or checks that must be removed. Additionally, these boards will typically be sanded down, so choose thicker boards than needed for your project. Also, opt for longer boards. And purchase extra lumber, in case some of the boards cannot be used.

Here at Bayou City Lumber, we specialize in all sorts of wood for building  — ranging from pressure treated lumber to rough timbers. Contact us to learn more about rough cedar lumber and how to use it for an upcoming home- or garden-building project.