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Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Boring Carving Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Gluing Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Luster Mortising Moulding Movement in Service Nailing Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Painting Planing References Regions of Distribution Resistance to Impregnation Response to Hand Tools Routing & Recessing Sanding Sapwood Color Scientific Name Screwing Staining Steam Bending Strength Properties Texture Toxicity Trade Name Tree Identification Tree Size Turning Varnishing Scientific Name Thuja occidentalis Trade Name Northern white-cedar Family Name Cupressaceae Common Names Arbor vitae, Arborvitae, Cedar, Eastern arborvitae, Eastern cedar, Eastern white cedar, Eastern white-cedar, Northern cedar, Northern white cedar, Northern white-cedar, Swamp cedar, White cedar Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] Canada, United States Common Uses Boat building (general), Boat building, Canoes, Chairs, Chemical containers, Exterior trim & siding, Exterior uses, Fishnet floats, Floats, Foundation posts, Furniture , Furniture, Joinery (external): ground contact, Lifeboats, Novelties, Piling, Poles, Posts, Railroad ties, Rustic furniture, Shingles, Shipbuilding, Sporting Goods, Stakes, Tables , Utility furniture, Utility poles, Vats, Woodenware Environmental Profile May be rare in some parts of its range Generally widespread, secure, and abundant within most of its range Data source is Nature Conservancy Distribution Overview This North American species occurs in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan in Canada. In the United States, it is distributed in Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Kentucky, Illinois, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Indiana. usually found growing in pure stands, and is adapted to swamps and neutral alkaline soils on limestone uplands. Heartwood Color Brown Green/grey Pink Pale brown Yellow to golden-yellow to orange White to cream Straw brown Brown Often has numerous small knots Sapwood Color Brown White to yellow Paler than heartwood Narrow Grain Straight Even Figure Growth rings (figure) Straight Figure shows rays Even Clear growth rings (figure) The wood is typically straight and even grained, and growth rings are not prominent Texture Medium Coarse Fine Even textured Luster Medium Natural Durability Perishable Durable Resistant to attack from powder post (Lyctid & Bostrychid) beetles Very durable Heartwood has high natural resistance to decay Heartwood is highly suitable for use in applications where it is exposed to high decay hazard conditions such as shingles, boats, greenhouses, outdoor furniture, and log pilings. Northern white cedar is reported to acquire a silvery sheen, with fine and indistinct surface checks after prolonged exposure to the weather. Odor Has a characteristic cedary smell and a faint bitter taste Toxicity Dermatitic effects Kiln Schedules T12 - B4 (4/4); T11 - B3 (8/4) US/T12 - B4 (4/4); T11 - B3 (8/4) US Drying Defects Checking Distortion Ease of Drying Fairly Easy Variable Easy Dries well with very little shrinkage and degrade Tree Identification Bole/stem form is buttressed Bole/stem form is fluted Tree Size Tree height is 20-30 m This is a slow growing tree, which may reach 400 or more years of age Boring Fair to good results Fairly easy to very easy Easy Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Gluing Very good properties Easy to glue Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Finishes well Easy to mortise Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good finishing results Easy to mould Movement in Service Stable Stable when seasoned Small Nailing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Nails hold poorly Planing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Planes well, to a good finish Easy to plane Resistance to Impregnation Resistant sapwood Resistant heartwood Heartwood is resistant Sapwood is permeable Poor response to preservative treatment Heartwood is extremely resistant Response to Hand Tools Responds Readily Easy to machine Yields a smooth, clean finish Responds well to ordinary machine tools in most operations Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Routing yields good results Routing is easy Sanding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Screwing Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Poor screw holding properties Poor results Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Good results Easy to turn Steam Bending Fair to Good Results Poor The timber has poor steam bending qualities, with a large proportion of broken pieces Painting Good results Very good painting qualities Staining Fair to Good Results Very Good to Excellent Results Stains well Finish is generally good Varnishing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Strength Properties Density (dry weight) = 15-22 lbs/cu. ft. Work to Maximum Load = very low Shearing strength (parallel to grain) = very low Modulus of Elasticity (stiffness) = very low Max. crushing strength = low Hardness (side grain) = very soft Density (dry weight) = 23-30 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = very low Toughness-Hammer drop (Impact Strength) = very low Soft Shrinkage, Tangential = very small Shrinkage, Radial = very small Dents or scratches easily Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. Bending strength (MOR) = low Northern white cedar has low strength properties in stiffness, hardness, and resistance to shock Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Bending Strength 3380 5098 psi Crushing Strength 225 304 psi Density 22 lbs/ft3 Hardness 322 lbs Impact Strength 15 13 inches Maximum Crushing Strength 2086 3978 psi Shearing Strength 875 psi Stiffness 839 1011 1000 psi Work to Maximum Load 5 5 inch-lbs/in3 Specific Gravity 0.28 0.29 Weight 23 22 lbs/ft3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % Tangential Shrinkage 4 % Volumetric Shrinkage 7 % Item Green Dry Metric Bending Strength 237 358 kg/cm2 Crushing Strength 15 21 kg/cm2 Density 352 kg/m3 Hardness 146 kg Impact Strength 38 32 cm Maximum Crushing Strength 146 279 kg/cm2 Shearing Strength 61 kg/cm2 Stiffness 58 71 1000 kg/cm2 Work to Maximum Load 0.35 0.35 cm-kg/cm3 Specific Gravity 0.28 0.29 Weight 368 352 kg/m3 Radial Shrinkage 2 % Tangential Shrinkage 4 % References Betts, H.S.,1949,American Woods - Northern White Cedar,USDA, Forest Service American Woods Bolza, E.,1976,Timber and Health,Div. Building Res. C.S.I.R.O. Australia Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report FPL-GTR-57, Madison, Wisconsin. Brown, H.P. and Panshin, A.J.,1940,Commercial Timbers of the United States Their structure, identification,,properties and uses,McGraw-Hill, London Canadian Forestry Service. 1981. Canadian Woods - Their Properties and Uses. Third Edition. E.J. Mullins and T.S. McKnight, Editors. Published by University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. Clifford, N.,1957,Timber Identification for the Builder and Architect,Leonard Hill (Books) LTD. London Dallimore, W. and Jackson, A. Bruce,1966,A Handbook of Coniferae and Ginkgoaceae Fourth Ed. Revised by S.G.,Harrison,Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd. London Forest Products Research Laboratory U.K.,1957,A Handbook of Softwoods,Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Forest Products Research,HMSO Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York. Markwardt, L.J., Wilson, T.R.C.,1935,Strength and related properties of woods grown in the United States,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin,No.479 Mullins, E.J. and McKnight, T.S.,1981,Canadian Woods Their Properties and Uses,University of Toronto Press 3rd Edition Panshin, A.J. and C. deZeeuw. 1980. Textbook of Wood Technology, 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Series in Forest Resources. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York. Patterson, D.,1988,Commercial Timbers of the World, 5th Edition,Gower Technical Press Record, S.J., Hess, R.W.,1943,Timbers of the New World,Yale University Press Titmuss, F.H.,1965,Commercial Timbers of the World,Technical Press Ltd., London, 3rd edition U.S.D.A. Forest Service,1974,Wood Handbook,U.S.A. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Handbook,72 USDA. 1987. Wood Handbook - Wood as an Engineering Material, Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 72, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin. USDA. 1988. Dry Kiln Operators Manual, Preliminary Copy. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin.