softwood · Juniperus virginiana

Eastern Redcedar wood properties

Also known as: aromatic red cedar, red cedar.

Type softwood
Botanical name Juniperus virginiana
Modulus of elasticity (MOE) 880,000 psi
Specific gravity 0.53
Density (approx) 33 lb/ft³ (2.8 lb per board foot)
Janka hardness 900 lbf
Shrinkage (tangential / radial) 4.7% / 3.1%
Movement coefficient (CT / CR) 0.00162 / 0.00106
Region Eastern North America

A 1 in x 6 in x 8 ft board of Eastern Redcedar weighs about 11.0 lb (roughly 33 lb per cubic foot). Its Janka hardness of 900 lbf is harder than about 43% of the woods in our database.

Uses and working notes

Common uses: fence posts, closet and chest linings, carvings, outdoor furniture, pencils.

Durability: Superbly resistant to insects and rot; serves untreated even in ground contact.

Workability: Apart from its knots it works easily; silica blunts cutters and the scent is strong.

Use this data

Similar woods

Woods with comparable hardness and density to Eastern Redcedar:

How these numbers were sourced

MOE, SG (12% MC), Janka and shrinkage from The Wood Database (cites USDA FPL Wood Handbook). CT/CR from the "Cedar, eastern red" row of the FPL/Hoadley table. Uses, region, durability and workability summarized from The Wood Database. Price indicative.

Values shown as estimates rather than sourced constants: typicalPricePerBF_usd.

Sources

These calculators are for planning and estimation. Engineering results (shelf sag, wood movement) use published average material properties; real boards vary by grade, grain, moisture and defects. Verify load-bearing designs with a professional.