cedar decking for adirondack/outdoor furniture?

[Mike Gager]

i found a source for 5/4 S3S cedar decking 6" wide in 10' and 14' lengths for $0.58 a lineal foot (= to about $1.16 a board foot)

my 1st question is, is that a good price? and secondly, would this material be a good choice for outdoor furniture such as adirondack chairs and such? i figure if its strong enough to be used in a deck it should be strong enough to sit on but is there anything else to consider? ive never used cedar for anything before

[Cody Colston]

$1.16 per bf is a good price for just about any wood.

Yes, Cedar is a good material for outdoor furniture. I'd guess yours is Western Red Cedar which, while a little less dense and not as attractive as ERC, has fewer knots and little to no sap wood. I'd buy it in a second.

Any end grain that touches the ground/concrete/decking needs to be sealed with epoxy to prevent wicking moisture.

[Tom Hargrove]

Mike -

In 2004 and 2005 I made about 40 Adirondack chairs from 5/4 and 2x6 Western Red Cedar that are in use at a summer camp. The 2x6 was used for the legs, the balance of the chairs were made from 5/4. They are still in good shape despite the abuse they receive. You should have no problems. I suggest that you use stainless screws and bolts to avoid staining.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Yep, there's a huge glut of Cedar decking on the market right now....we're offering cedar decks for about the same cost as Pine decks!

Yes, it will hold up famously and look great.

[Josiah Bartlett]

Be careful about the grain orientation or it will develop into a sliver factory after it ages a bit. With lumber prices being what they are right now, make sure you are getting top grade stuff for that price. Here in the Pacific NW it costs less today to order a cord's worth of kiln dry douglas fir studs than it does to order a cord of seasoned mixed firewood.

[Shawn Christ]

I think cedar is an excellent choice for outdoor furniture, and that seems to be a good price. I made a porch swing out of reclaimed western red cedar not long ago. It will quickly age to a silvery-gray color, so you might want to apply a quality exterior stain once every few years to maintain some color.

And, maybe it's just me, but an added benefit to using cedar is the aroma you get in your shop while machining it...

[Kendall Stokke]

my only question is what grade of cedar is it.

i work in a lumber yard so id be careful of what grade it is.

if it is mostly clear its a good deal

if it is mostly knots then id pass

just my thoughts

kendall

[Mike Gager]

it is #1 grade

heres the ad with pictures

http://lawrence.craigslist.org/mat/1222686624.html

oh yeah i can get 10% off by mentioning the ad so the price would be about $0.52/lf or about $1.04/bf

[Don Orr]

That should be great for outdoor furiture. At that price I would get as much as you can store. Cedar is wonderful to work with IMHO. That looks like it is fairly tight knot material.

[Kendall Stokke]

i would jump all over it for that price

looks like some nice stuff

kendall