Cedar
Cedar (western red cedar, EN 13556 THPL) is a lightweight aromatic softwood at about 0.37 g/cm³, with 55 MPa tensile strength, a 7.7 GPa elastic modulus and low thermal conductivity of 0.09 W/m·K.
Reference datasheet — Cedar is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the KD12 condition
Cedar tempers and conditions
Cedar is supplied in 3 conditions, soft to hard. KD12 is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 3 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Green | Take freshly sawn wet stock for heavy members that will dry on site or for blanks to be preservative-treated; strength and stiffness are clearly lower and thermal conductivity higher. | 45 | 1.3 | 0.14 W/m·K | ||
KD12Default Kiln-dried, 12 % moisture content | Use the standard kiln-dried engineering and construction state at about 12 % moisture content, the condition to which the published handbook mechanical values apply. | 55 | 1 | 0.09 W/m·K | ||
Oven-dry | Use the oven-dry, 0 % moisture reference state for laboratory baselines or dry indoor work such as models, instruments and sauna lining: highest strength but brittle and it swells on re-absorption. | 62 | 0.8 | 0.08 W/m·K |
What is Cedar?
Cedar (western red cedar, EN 13556 THPL) is a lightweight aromatic softwood at about 0.37 g/cm³, with 55 MPa tensile strength, a 7.7 GPa elastic modulus and low thermal conductivity of 0.09 W/m·K. Natural extractives give untreated decay resistance (corrosion score 80) and it machines very easily (score 90); stock is supplied kiln-dried at 12 % MC, green or oven-dry. It is also the softest and least stiff species in this group, with a 65 °C service limit and acidic extractives that corrode carbon steel and aluminium fasteners. Redwood is the closest alternative. Cedar has a density of 0.37 g/cm³ (0.0134 lb/in³), lighter than 87% of natural material grades. Cedar has a tensile strength of 55 MPa (7.98 ksi), stronger than 64% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1% and the elastic modulus is 7.7 GPa (1.12 Msi).
What is Cedar used for?
- Siding & shingles
- Outdoor furniture
- Closet lining
- Fencing
- Boat building
Advantages
- Lightweight — 0.37 g/cm³ (0.0134 lb/in³), better than 87% of natural material grades
- Easy to machine — 90/100, better than 86% of natural material grades
- Good corrosion resistance — 80/100, better than 84% of natural material grades
Limitations
- Limited service temperature — 65°C (149 °F), worse than 88% of natural material grades
- Poor heat conductor — 0.09 W/m·K (0.052 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 87% of natural material grades
- Low fracture toughness — 0.4 MPa·√m (0.364 ksi·√in), worse than 86% of natural material grades
Cedar properties
Typical room-temperature values for Cedar-KD12; bars are the position among natural material grades.
Physical2
Cedar has a density of 0.37 g/cm³ (0.0134 lb/in³), lighter than 87% of natural material grades.
Mechanical9
Cedar has a tensile strength of 55 MPa (7.98 ksi), stronger than 64% of natural material grades. Elongation at break is 1% and the elastic modulus is 7.7 GPa (1.12 Msi).
Thermal5
Cedar is rated for continuous service to 65°C (149 °F). It conducts heat at 0.09 W/m·K (0.052 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 87% of natural material grades. Thermal expansion is 4 µm/m·K (2.22 µin/in·°F).
Electrical2
Cedar is an electrical insulator with a dielectric strength of 1.5 kV/mm (38.1 V/mil) and a resistivity of 1×10⁹ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental1
Corrosion resistance is very good (80/100), better than 84% of natural material grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Cedar takes about 9 MJ of energy and emits 0.45 kg of CO₂ — less than 71% of natural material grades. Typical recycled content is 0%.
Manufacturability2
Cedar's machinability is excellent (90/100, better than 86% of natural material grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Working with Cedar
Is Cedar easy to machine?
Very easy to saw, mill and plane, but the wood is soft, so sharp tooling and high spindle speed are needed to avoid fuzzy surfaces and crushed edges. The earlywood/latewood hardness difference causes sanding ripple; back abrasives with a hard block.
Can Cedar be welded?
Not applicable. Bond with PVA, polyurethane or epoxy, or fasten with stainless screws or pneumatic nails, pre-drilling near edges and ends to prevent splitting.
Can Cedar be formed, bent or molded?
Steam-bending performance is poor and stock breaks readily; use laminated bends or design straight-grained members. Shrinkage is low, about 2.4 % radial and 5 % tangential.
Cedar chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| cellulosecrystalline and amorphous cellulose | 40 – 48 | 45 |
| hemicellulosemainly galactoglucomannan | 18 – 26 | 22 |
| ligninguaiacyl lignin | 28 – 34 | 31 |
| extractivesheartwood extractives: thujaplicins, thujic acid; antimicrobial | 2 – 10 | 5 |
| ash | 0.2 – 0.5 | 0.3 |
What surface finishes work on Cedar?
Paints and stains well, but heartwood extractives bleed and require a stain-blocking sealer primer. Fasteners must be stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized — plain carbon steel and aluminium corrode against the acidic extractives and leave black staining.
How much does Cedar cost?
Cedar is a premium-cost natural material ($$$), cheaper than about 51% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Cedar — frequently asked
What is Cedar used for?
Cedar is typically used for siding & shingles, outdoor furniture, closet lining, fencing and boat building. In short: lightest decay-resistant softwood; best untreated rot resistance; soft, low-strength surface.
What is the tensile strength of Cedar?
Cedar has a typical tensile strength of 55 MPa (7.98 ksi) — stronger than 64% of natural material grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 3 listed tempers.
Is Cedar easy to machine?
Yes — machinability is rated excellent (90/100, better than 86% of natural material grades). Very easy to saw, mill and plane, but the wood is soft, so sharp tooling and high spindle speed are needed to avoid fuzzy surfaces and crushed edges. The earlywood/latewood hardness difference causes sanding ripple; back abrasives with a hard block.
Can Cedar be welded?
Not applicable. Bond with PVA, polyurethane or epoxy, or fasten with stainless screws or pneumatic nails, pre-drilling near edges and ends to prevent splitting.
What surface finishes work on Cedar?
Paints and stains well, but heartwood extractives bleed and require a stain-blocking sealer primer. Fasteners must be stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized — plain carbon steel and aluminium corrode against the acidic extractives and leave black staining.
Can Cedar be formed, bent or molded?
Steam-bending performance is poor and stock breaks readily; use laminated bends or design straight-grained members. Shrinkage is low, about 2.4 % radial and 5 % tangential.
What is the maximum service temperature of Cedar?
Cedar is rated for continuous use to about 65°C (149 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Cedar cost?
Cedar is a premium-cost natural material ($$$), cheaper than about 51% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- Wood Handbook — Wood as an Engineering Material, GTR-190, Ch.5 Mechanical Properties — USDA Forest Products Laboratory (2010)
- EN 13556 — Round and sawn timber, nomenclature of timbers (code THPL) — CEN (2003)
- ASTM D143 — Standard Test Methods for Small Clear Specimens of Timber — ASTM (2022)
- EN 350 — Durability of wood and wood-based products, natural durability classes — CEN (2016)
- Western Red Cedar Technical Data (thermal, dimensional, fastener guidance) — Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA) (2021)
- Inventory of Carbon & Energy (ICE) v3 — sawn softwood — Circular Ecology (2019)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.