# Is cedar ever treated?



## joefrompa (Sep 6, 2011)

Hey all,

I found a whole bunch of long shavings of cedar in my shed this summer. The previous owner of my house was a wood-worker (custom built solid oak kitchen cabinets for the house). He didn't leave a whole lot behind.


Anyway, when cleaning out the shed of all the old 2x4's, plywood, and so forth he had left behind I found a ton of VERY thin cedar strips. They are rough in quality and taper on both ends - it seems like raw wood with like 1/4" planed off into shavings, but both sides are rough so I have no idea what it came from.

Anyway, I don't know the exact origin of this stuff and it is sitting around other pieces of wood that were used outdoors - i.e. pressure treated

Right now I've got about 30-40 pieces of this beautiful cedar sitting on my kindling pile - but I'm hoping someone can reassure me that cedar is pretty much never treated with anything that would make it unfit for burning.

Thanks all,

Joe


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## mhrischuk (Sep 6, 2011)

Hard to say Joe. If it looks raw it's probably unfinished.

My whole house is cedar siding. It has many coats of chemicals on it. I would never burn it if I had to remove it. But it's quite obvious it's there (finish).


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## spacecowboyIV (Sep 6, 2011)

Cedar boards are almost never treated initially, cedar is a naturally rot resistant wood.  When they are used as siding they are stained/painted for extra protection, and it should be very apparent if they have been stained or painted.

If I were you I wouldn't be burning the boards you describe though.  If they have been milled already they may be worth saving for a future project or barter/sell them to get better firewood.


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## lukem (Sep 6, 2011)

joefrompa said:
			
		

> Hey all,
> 
> I found a whole bunch of long shavings of cedar in my shed this summer. The previous owner of my house was a wood-worker (custom built solid oak kitchen cabinets for the house). He didn't leave a whole lot behind.
> 
> ...



Sounds better suited for a project other than burning.  Sounds like it could make good shake siding or roofing.  Old clear cedar is hard to come by and expensive if purchased new.


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## joefrompa (Sep 6, 2011)

I'll have to take a picture. At their thinnest they are maybe 1mm thick, at their thickest maybe 1/4". They are oblong, maybe 24", and maybe 3" across in the middle and 1.5" across at the ends. 

They're no good for siding or anything else that I'm aware of. Maybe put them in some closets to keep out moths? However, they are exceedingly dry and thin for kindling


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## Jags (Sep 6, 2011)

Sounds like cutoffs from trimming a board to fit.  Burn it.  This would have been done before any finish would have been applied to the project.  Again - burn it.


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## Frozen Canuck (Sep 6, 2011)

Joe: Our western red cedar is toxic when burned due to the resins in it, I am not sure if this applies to the species of cedar you have locally. Either way if you use it in small amounts say as fire starter only you should have no issues at all with burning it, just not in large quantities as in a campfire. What you describe is too thin for milling IMO unless you have plans for a dollhouse for grandkids or some such other use.


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## Wood Duck (Sep 7, 2011)

I can't find any information about Western Red Cedar creating toxic fumes when burned (I admit that I simply did a web search). Apprarently cedar dust can be an explosion hazard, but where did you learn that Western Red Cedar is toxic when burned? I'd expect that any resins in the wood would burn away in a fire. FWIW, Western Red Cedar is not in the same genus of trees as Eastern Red Cedar. Eastern Red Cedar is really a juniper (Juniperus virginiana).


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## madrone (Sep 7, 2011)

Frozen Canuck said:
			
		

> Joe: Our western red cedar is toxic when burned due to the resins in it,



Nah, man. Not true. Burn it.


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## Mmaul (Sep 7, 2011)

I have an answer for this there is only one company in the united states that doesnt treat cedar for food related uses. What the other companies put on them I dont know but I used to have to buy cedar planks for salmon about 600 per month. Its been a few years back now things might have changed.


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## TMonter (Sep 7, 2011)

I use cedar strips when I have them as kindling because it burns fast and hot, but it doesn't make a good wood for a lasting fire, too much oil in it for that and not enough density.


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