Consumer Awareness

Cedar and other exterior woods such as redwood and mahogany are planed to a smooth finish which is satisfactory for all exterior use. These should not be compared with interior grade woods such as oak, birch, cherry, etc. which is planed then sanded many times. All woods have different grains and uses, Colonial Woodworkers uses a premium fence grade cedar which is (green, not kiln dried) and finished to a degree of smoothness appropriate for the particular application.

Staining of premium cedar will highlight the variations of smoothness in its finish, and should be considered prior to purchasing a fence that is to be stained.

Cedar is a beautiful and natural wood that should be the first choice for all of your fencing needs. As with any natural wood, you may experience some slight bowing and twisting of rails, boards and posts. However, through our experience and manufacturing techniques we have been able to minimize this natural process as much as is humanly possible.

The natural seasoning (drying out) of any piece of lumber is a well-researched and documented process called checking, which is particularly noticeable in any full round or square piece of timber. When a timber dries, the exterior surface (sapwood) shrinks faster than the inner heart (heartwood) of the piece. Something has to give. The result is the familiar "check," which is technically neither a split nor a crack.

Checking is much less visibly evident, but still a possibility, in boards and planks (as seen in common lumber). These timbers are normally cut from larger trees - and having been sawn on four sides - exposure to the air and natural drying is more even and uniform.

Both laboratory and field tests tend to prove that checking, which is almost certain to occur, does not affect the strength of the material.

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