After over two centuries in the lumber industry, J. Gibson McIlvain added softwoods to its catalog of offerings, providing customers with the convenience of being able to purchase all their lumber products from a single reliable source, saving valuable time as well as shipping fees. Once providing only millwork and solid hardwoods, we now offer the same quality for which we’ve become known. Our entry into the areas of hardwood plywood and softwoods has provided our customers with a trusted source for these commonly available lumber products. In addition to Western Redcedar, Douglas Fir and other less popular species, we carry a large inventory of Alaskan Yellow Cedar.
While not actually a cedar, the Alaskan Yellow Cedar boasts an aromatic quality and texture that makes it comparable to cedars. Growing along the Coast of the Pacific Northwestern US as well as Canada and Alaska, this species grows best in moist, coastal areas. The high rainfall and cold climate associated with those areas leads to closely packed growth rings that allow for little — if any — distinction between early and late growth rings. The resulting consistent color and high level of stability add to Alaskan Yellow Cedar’s hardness and rot and insect resistance to make it an ideal species for many exterior applications.
The consistent grain structure does more than provide great color and strength; it also leads to easy workability and machining. The Yellow Cedar’s slow growth and large size combine to allow for large timbers and wide boards.
Growing in a similar climate as Western Redcedar, Yellow Cedar has some similarities to its sister pseudo-cedar and yet comes out on top in many areas. Superiority in areas like strength, weather resistance, and stability contribute to the popular use of Alaskan Yellow Cedar for ceilings, trim work, exterior siding, and flooring. Its strength and weather resistance, combined with its lightness, have also contributed to its historic use within the boat building industry as well as in aircraft construction.
Due to its great responsiveness to wet environments, additional applications include pool houses and saunas. Its lightweight quality, combined with the availability of large timbers, makes Yellow Cedar appear often in Japanese architectures; you’ll often find Yellow Cedar used in garden structures, such as Shoji, gazebos, and pergolas.
At J. Gibson McIlvain, we maintain a stock of 4/4 and 5/4 sizes but can usually source special orders requiring greater thicknesses or extremely large timbers within 2 weeks. Because we have our own millwork operation on site, we have the capability of milling your Yellow Cedar into flooring, siding, or paneling, allowing us to ship exactly what your project demands directly to your job site.
Call us today at 800-638-9100 to discuss using Alaskan Yellow Cedar for your next project.
J. Gibson McIlvain Company
Since 1798, when Hugh McIlvain established a lumber business near Philadelphia, the McIlvain family has been immersed in the premium import and domestic lumber industry. With its headquarters located just outside of Baltimore, the J. Gibson McIlvain Company (www.mcilvain.com) is one of the largest U.S. importers of exotic woods.
As an active supporter of sustainable lumber practices, the J. Gibson McIlvain Company has provided fine lumber for notable projects throughout the world, including the White House, Capitol building, Supreme Court, and the Smithsonian museums.
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