The Life of a Northern White Cedar Log 

THE LIFE CYCLE OF A NWC LOG

NWC Seedling

NWC Seedling

Northern White Cedar,Thuja occidentalis grows naturally in wet forests, being particularly abundant in coniferous swamps where other larger and faster growing trees cannot compete successfully. NWC is self propogating so reforestization is unnecessary.

Northern White Cedar Properties

Northern White Cedar Properties

Northern White Cedar naturally produces a preservative called Phenol that make it one of the most decay, rot and insect resistant of all wood species. Because of this natural resistance, your NWC log home will not need to be treated with toxic chemicals to resist insects or rot as these properties are naturally occuring. Because of its very low moisture content, Northern White Cedar displays minimal cracking or checking.

NWC Trees

NWC Trees

NWC can be harvested only when the winter's chill freezes the ground sufficiently to support the weight of the loggers and their heavy equipment. Even with the most determined effort and the longest winter, loggers manage to fell barely half the NWC trees that are ready to harvest each year.

Air Drying

Air Drying

Since Northern White Cedar has a very low moisture content, kiln drying is not necessary. It can be successfully air dried to a desirable moisture content in 3-6 months. Air-drying allows the wood to acclimate to a new moisture level without harming the wood fiber. This results in less checking and because we use only heartwood, no checks will penetrate the heart.

Cants

Cants

Once airdried to a suitable level, the trees are debarked and cut into square cants and stored in a manner that allows for sufficient air flow around all sides of the cant. They will continue to air dry until you are ready for the delivery of your log home package.

Logs

Logs

When you are ready for the delivery of your Cedar Log Home Package, the cants are milled into actual logs and loaded on a truck and are on ther way to building your dream.