I notice that not much mention is made of redwood for outdoor projects. Even Norm doesn't seem to give it any consideration for his outdoor creations, preferring cyprus or teak. Any reason for this? Is there some limitation or restriction on its sale? Maybe it's out of fashion? Can it be used for indoor pieces which will require a decent finish?
FoggyTown
Redwood heart versus sapwood - might as well be different trees.
It's also, splintery, has extractives that make it durable, but also reject "decent" finishes.
Given the abundance of choices, why pick something like that for indoors, where durability isn't an issue?
I have run across this many times with wood workers from other states. I live in California so redwood is readily available but expensive. Shipping the redwood across the country adds considerable to the cost. IT would cost more than ebony at the destination. max
Redwood is very soft. It dents easily. It is the opposite of teak.
Redwood is readily available in Kansas and is always shipped in, since we don't have trees.:-) It is more expensive than some alternatives but is used quite often here for decks and gazebos.
Mike O.
I made two of Norm's Adirondack chairs from redwood. These are still holding up well after 10 years of use. I apply a clear oil every other year as maintenance. Redwood can be obtained readily in California, and at higher prices elsewhere.
I was going to use it on my lounge chair. Here in the east is was very expensive compared to alternates and selection of sizes was limited. I used cypress instead.
I worked a few summers in a wholesale lumberyard in Florida (not a recommended job). The lumberyard shipped out a lot of 1X redwood boards, so somebody was buying it.
I like working with redwood, I've made a couple projects with it, the only thing cheaper is pine or pressure treated pine, and for out doors pine will warp and rot in a few years even in a place as dry as Boise, last week I pulled some posts out of the ground at my in-laws 5"+ polls, and most of them could be kicked over the bases were so rotten, and they had only been in the ground 10 years maybe, yet the redwood floor for the shed that I demolished right next to them was in great shape after 25+ years, (the steal shed had rusted away thus the demo)
you can put a finish on redwood, but you have to seal coat it first, Linseed oil works with paint I know, don't know about other finishes, just remember, redwood is like pine in a lot of ways, it's soft, and sappy so it gums up yours tools but other than that it's great, I like getting 2x4,
4x4, etc and re-sawing them down to 1x stock as far as price I get 12" 4x4 for $14-$15 here in BoiseEd Pawlowski notes: "was going to use it on my lounge chair. Here in the east is was very expensive compared to alternates and selection of sizes was limited. I used cypress instead."
Cypress is also stronger than redwood, far less splintery. The only redwood projects I've made that I've liked are a couple indoor bookshelves. The redwood in my deck is slowly being replaced with PT southern yellow pine as the redwood boards rot. Deck is about 16 years old. The vertical stuff seems OK, but anything horizontal is in rough shape. What isn't rotting is badly worn from weathering.
Not in California. Most of our residential fences are redwood. Much of the decking out here are redwood too.
Redwood left outdoor turns dark with time but you could stop or at least slow down the process by using a clear top coat with UV blocker. Redwood adds a lot of warmth to an indoor room - I'm going to use it as wall/ceiling panels, doors and some trim work. I have some redwood wrapped around 2'x4' fluorescent fixtures. Untreated, indoor, three years old and didn't notice any darkening.
I have a bunch or old black salvaged redwood and after going through the planer some pieces came out red and just gorgeous!
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