Which Is a Better Wood for a Picnic Table: Red Cedar or Redwood?

Red Cedar

• Red cedar lumber is created from a type of evergreen tree with the soft needlelike foliage typical of other cedar varieties. There are both male and female red cedar trees, identified by their display of either berries (female) or cones (male). The sex of the tree, however, makes no difference in the quality of the wood. The lumber of all red cedar trees is classified as softwood. The wood of the red cedar emits a pleasant odor when fresh that may remind many people of Christmas trees.

Redwood

• Redwood trees are possibly most well-known for the massive kings of the Redwood Forest of California, the Sierra redwoods, or giant sequoias. Many of these trees are hundreds of years old, and some even have trunks large enough to drive a car through. However, it is the coast redwoods, grown in privately owned forests, that are regularly harvested for lumber. Redwood, as opposed to red cedar, is a hardwood. This does not mean that it is stronger or even harder to the touch than red cedar, a common misconception. Though redwood may display a more consistent color, it will have little to no smell compared to red cedar.

The Picnic Table

• Whether you should choose red cedar or redwood for your picnic table will depend on what qualities you want your table to have. If you want your table to retain its color and shape, choose red cedar. If you desire the weathered appearance that wood may develop after exposure to the elements, redwood is the correct choice. If you experience very warm or hot weather where you live, build your picnic table from redwood. Red cedar will absorb more heat, making your table's benches very uncomfortable to sit on in the summertime. Conversely, a picnic table made from red cedar, which has a high natural insulation rating, will provide a warmer place to sit if you venture outdoors in the winter. Finally, many homeowners also use their outdoor picnic table as a games table. If this applies to you, choose red cedar, which absorbs vibrations better than redwood.

Other Important Considerations

• If you live near California or other parts of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, you should be able to obtain redwood without issue. However, if you live farther away, consider using red cedar, instead. It is lighter and more economical to ship, and is also likely to survive the trip with less damage than redwood.

  It may also be important to you to choose the most sustainable products for your picnic table. If this is the case, it may be worth it to you to pay extra for the redwood. Redwood grows extremely quickly, more quickly than red cedar. In just a few years, there may be many healthy trees to replace the one that you used to build your picnic table.