Why Cedar is the Best Choice For Your New Log Home

When in the market for a new log home, there are many choices that you must make and you want to make informed decisions.
We are going to take a look at why cedar is such a great wood species to choose for your new log home.
Moisture Content - excessive moisture in a log can bring on a host of problems that you will want to avoid.
Northern white cedar logs have an average moisture content of only 19% - 23% right off the saw.
This means that the logs can be air-dried, which is nature's way of seasoning the wood to maximize wood cell stability and R-value.
Splitting, cracking and checking are minimized.
Kiln Drying - Kiln Drying is used for other species of wood because of their high moisture content and the high heat used also kills insect infestation.
Kiln drying is not necessary for cedar because it is naturally low in moisture and the oils in the log are a natural insect repellant.
Insect Resistance - Cedar is loaded with natural oils that that insects simply avoid.
No more worrying about carpenter bees, beetles and ants because they simply don't like cedar.
The oils are permeated throughout the entire thickness of the log.
No need for the periodic spraying of chemicals to prevent insect infestation.
Rot and Decay Resistance - The naturally occurring oils in cedar also resist rot and decay providing nature's own wood preservative.
With a serviceable life of 50 years or more in ground-contact conditions, early wood utility poles, railroad ties and fence posts demanded the performance of cedar.
Even today cedar is still used for fence posts.
Insulation Value - According to the U.
S.
Department of Agriculture Wood Handbook, northern white cedar protects a log home's interior better than any other commonly used wood.
With an R-value of 1.
41/inch, northern white cedar leaves other woods in the cold.
When choosing the wood species for your new log home, think very strongly why cedar exceeds all others in performance.