Decking, fencing, lattice... Sel ling ced ar specialties

fT PRODUCES fences that stay lstraight, gates that hang evenly, decks that remain flat, and greenhouses, sheds and other garden structures that keep their shape and good looks reportedly better and longer than those built with most other woods. It's western red cedar, said to be the world's most stable softwood.

Cedar's tones and textures blend well with the outdoors and with most styles of architecture and types of construction, making it an excellent choice for specialty products and landscaping projecs. Available in a wide variety of sizes and grades, the species excels outdoors: o Western red cedar's slow growth and oily extractives produce the wood's natural resistance to insects and decay as well as its rich, trade-

Western Red Cedar Products

mark coloring.

o The wood is dimensionally stable, said to swell and shrink half as much as comparable softwoods so it naturally resists cracking, splitting, twisting, cupping and warping.

o It is practical - lightweight, easy to work, glue, finish or stain (or even be left to weather naturally).

o The wood's an excellent insulator; its extremely low density and fine closed cellular structure provide a superb heat and cold transfer barrier.

Straight-grained and free of pitch, cedar can be sold for backyard projects by the component (for custom designed and built decks, fences, planters, etc.), in kit form (containing, for example, everything needed to

Story at a Glance

Cedar is ideal for outdoor projects ... add-on sales to fences, decks, gazebos.

construct a bench or small greenhouse), or ready-made (e.g., preassembled gazebo or lattice fence).

Cedar projects allow for ample add-on sales, including gravel fill, posts, concrete, corrosion-resistant fasteners, tools, preservatives, and finish (stain, varnish, oil, wax or light-colored paint).