Aromatic cedar ironing board: to seal or not to seal?

[Dan Friedrichs]

I'm building a "ironing cabinet" which includes a fold-out ironing board. I built the board base out of aromatic cedar, and plan to cover it with ~1/4" of felt and a fabric board cover. My question is: should I seal the cedar in some way before covering it? I'm concerned that excessive moisture (from the steam iron) may distort it, but perhaps I'm just being excessively concerned (we don't iron THAT much, and there will be plenty of fabric and felt over the top of it). I'd like to avoid sealing it, if possible, to allow it to continue to release its smell.

So whatdaya think? Seal or not seal? If "seal", with what?

[Danny Hamsley]

I would not seal it. You can keep the color and aroma fresh with a periodic light sanding. You can't do that if you seal it, and any sealer will change the natural color and eliminate the aroma.

[Mel Fulks]

Agree with no sealer ,think I would use some battens though.

[Dan Friedrichs]

Thanks for the comments, guys. I'll plan on not sealing it, so I can refresh the smell with a light sanding on occasion.