A primer of cedar terms

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Those not in the lumber business often have a different answer and even a lumberman's definition may differ depending on the area he represents.

Cedar is a soft wood with reddish heartwood and white sapwood. lt comes from a coniferous tree of genus cedrus, juniperus or thuja with numerous species, each known by a different name.

Western red cedar, perhaps the best known by builders and architects, is found in Western British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.Of thethuja plicata species, it has a natural resistance to decay and insect damage. Because of this, it is widely used in shingles and shakes for roofs and exterior siding. It also is popular for fences, decks, siding and paneling, often used inside as well as outside.

Red cedar grown outside the west is known as incense cedar or eastern red cedar. Eastern red cedar is really a juniper (Juniperus virginiana) growing in much of the eastern half of the United States, both north and south, and as far west as the plains states. Closet and chest liners, cedar chests and pencils are €rmong its products. Because of its distinctive fragrance, it also is known as aromatic red cedar. Incense cedar, also an aromatic wood, grows on the Pacific Coast from Southern California to Northern Oregon as well as in parts of

Nevada. Of the libocedrus decurrens species, it is extremely durable. Widely used for pencil stock, shingles, fence posts and in other areas where stability against weathering is useful, it is said to have been discovered by Cen. John Fremont in 1847 in the upper Sacramento (Ca.) Valley.

Beautiful as well as durable, it is now being cut for interior and exterior siding by at least one lumber company. Its decay resistance, elegant grain and rich color reportedly make it a perfect woodwork material. An educational program for builders is underway to create demand for the estimated 9 billion board feet available for cutting.

To further muddle identification of cedar, there is cedar of lrbanon, Spanish cedar found in South America, Mexican cedar in the country of the same name, once used for cigar boxes, and various cedars used and identified by regional names in Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the West Indies. Cedar also is a term applied to at least a dozen other items including birds, aquatic plants and a nut used for food in Siberia.

Is there any wonder that your customer may appear confused when You recommend cedar?

Story at a Glance

How to identify three tyPes of cedar. .characteristics of various species...uses in home building andd-i-y. .background for customer education.

WESTERN red cedar trees often grow t0 a heighl of 125-200leet with a diameter 0f 2-5 feet, with small overlapping, scale-like leaves that form sprays. lt has smallish (about 3/4 inch long,) brown cones and cinnamon red bark which turns gray as the tree ages.

/lass <( ('o. is ncgtltiatirtg to scll its opcriltiorts itt Kttrlrvillc attrl Nashvillc, 'l'n., I'aducah uttrl Orvcrtsboro, Ky., accordittg to a co. spokcsnran; branchcs in Atlarrta, (ia., Ralciglr artcl Charkrtlc, N.C., ancl lrrlartgcr, Ky., willbc rctainccl by thc New York bit"sccl co.

Relkrtult has opcncd a ncw distribution ccntcr in Charlottc. N.C.. with a sccorrd DC ncar Dallas, Tx., to open in April; they plan threc rnore ncw warehouses by May. Greenbriar Ruilrlint! Maleriul.s has acquired Gor.v Su1t1t11, Divi.sion, Fort Lauderdale, Fl.

Mt'Co.v Builcling Supply Center, Sem Marcos, Tx., is building a 14,880 sq. ft. retail sales area, a 9,375 sq. ft. warehouse and two 4,000 sq. ft. lumber sheds on a 3.7 acre parcel in Orange, Tx., with an early summer completion date.

Lowe's Cotnpanies, ltc'., plans to complete a 63,000 sq. ft. outlet on 7.86 acres in Fort Pierce, Fl., in late spring. . .Payless Cashways plans to open l5 retail outlets during 1985 including units in Louisville, Ky., Conroe, Houston and Lubbock. Tx.. and Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Ok.

Hughes Lwnber Co., Tulsa, Ok., which is expanding its l0 units to 15,000 and 18,000 sq. ft. with a home center image, also plans to add a new store every 18 months. .

Lummus Supply, Atlanta, Ga., has se1 up a new wholesale div., Don Barnett, sales mgr. . , Canadiqn Midwest, itc. has opened a reload facility in Pond Creek, has a ncw ol'licc ilr l)alla.s. 'fx..

K. W. Kirrard, gcn. nrg,r..

.klltnstort, sarlcs rngr. .

DM K-l'actli<', hcadquartcrcd in fircrnont, Ca., lras opcncd a ncw salcs ol'ficc in 'fulsa, ()k. . .//pinc Vetu'er, Portland, Or., intcnds to open a div. in Birnrirrgham, Al. . . .Spurlanlturg Lutnbet'und Millwork Co., Sparlanburg, S.Ci., is rcbuilding its millwork plant which was destroyed by fire almosl a year ago..

Huglrcs Lumlrcr & Buildirtl4,Su1tply Co., Charleston, S.C., is adding a secondary roofing business, joining F-irsl Nelional Rorsfing, a national network based in Jacksonville,Fl....

Whirlpool Corp. will acquire KitchenAid from Dart & Kr('t Inc'. for an undisclosed sum. . .USG (formerly U.S. Gypsum Co.) is selling its Hollytex Carpel Mills, Inc. and Peelers Carpels Lld. to an undisclosed investor group. .Horris-Tarkell, Johnson City, Tn., has expanded its marketing into Ohio. .

Bird Inc. intends to sell five roofing plants including the ones in Glenwood, Ar.; Shreveport, La., and Charlestown, S.C., to Genslar Building Materials Co. for about $50 million. .

Overhead Door Corp., Dallas, Tx., has changed its name to Dallas Corp., but will retain use of the Overhead Door name. .ProfitMaster, Austin, Tx., has opened offices in Norcross, Ga., and Louisville,Ky....

Illu'k Ci l)cckcr ,'l<'cas,tor'.v' I)it,. Itirs lrcctt rcsl tttcttrtcrl ttltclct the rllill)c , lrrt'.s.sol t' <l ll'rtrk Ittrtrlttc'ls l)it'. . . .A. (). .Srrtitlt ll'uttr l)xtdtrt'l.s ('o. is rcltralittg clcllts. to Mcllce altcl ('lrntclcn, S.('., ll'ttm Krrttkitkcc, ll. . .Ar//t' llfutttr.lirt'Itrritry Co., Horrstolt, Ix., and Olivc llranch. Ms.. ltits lrcett acquircd lilr :.rn rrnclisclosecl pricc by a llc\\' c()nlpallv rllgattizccl bV its nrarrallcnrcr)t attcl lltc 'l ltorttus I'1. Ltt'('o.

Cultitol I)nxtttcl.s ('rrr7r. is scl to opcn a ncw manulacturing lircility in Errnis. Tx.. in March. .Scu.sonull Iruluslrie.s, lttt'. lras bccn rcpurchascd l'r'<'sn'r l?cr||uttrt l)ruu.s (|trp. by l.-ranklyn R. Gorcll artcl other mcrtttrcrs ol'its l'ourrdine lanrilv.

Enryire lJru.shes, Inc., Cireenvillc, N.C., is celebrating its 75th anniversary. .The Oak l:'looring Irt.stiltrle (National Oak Flooring Manufacturcrs Association) has adopted a stylized acorn as its new loeo.

R. L. Stokes Paint l)i.stributors. Inc., Forl Lauderdale, Fl., received Minwax Co.'s 1984 president's award. . .Elkay Murru.fn<'luring Co. has received an award of excellence from the International Customer Service Association. .

The Nofolk and Western Rai[woy Co.3 western regional Hq. has been relocated to corporate Hq. at Roanoke, Va., from St. Louis, Mo.

Nudged by a 2.190 increase in Dec., housing starts for 1984 hit 1.74 million units, /ie best year since 1979. .new home starts for Dec. were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,587,000 units, up from 1,554,000 in Nov. . . .single family starts rose 5.45V0, multis slid 4Vo. . .housing starts rose l8.6Yo in the South, outpacing the U.S.; nationatly bldg. permits fell A.2Wo. .