How much does Western Red Cedar lumber weigh?
A W. Red Cedar 2×4, 8 ft weighs at 12% moisture content, kiln-dried.
22.8 lb/ft³ · 5.33 bd ft ·
Western Red Cedar is a softwood with a basic specific gravity of 0.31 (ovendry mass over green volume, USDA Wood Handbook Table 5-3b) — 22.8 lb/ft³ once dried to 12% moisture content. Its Janka side hardness is 350 lbf, the 45th hardest of the 46 species on this site. Green, freshly cut moisture content runs 58% in the heartwood to 249% in the sapwood. Total shrinkage from green to ovendry runs about 6.8% by volume.
Western Red Cedar weight by size
| Size | Actual (dry) | 8 ft, 12% MC | Per foot | Green range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1×2 | 3/4″ × 1-1/2″ | 1.4 lb | 0.18 lb/ft | 2.1–4.6 lb |
| 1×3 | 3/4″ × 2-1/2″ | 2.4 lb | 0.30 lb/ft | 3.4–7.5 lb |
| 1×4 | 3/4″ × 3-1/2″ | 3.3 lb | 0.42 lb/ft | 4.7–10.4 lb |
| 1×6 | 3/4″ × 5-1/2″ | 5.2 lb | 0.65 lb/ft | 7.5–16.5 lb |
| 1×8 | 3/4″ × 7-1/4″ | 6.9 lb | 0.86 lb/ft | 10.0–22.0 lb |
| 1×10 | 3/4″ × 9-1/4″ | 8.8 lb | 1.10 lb/ft | 12.6–27.8 lb |
| 1×12 | 3/4″ × 11-1/4″ | 10.7 lb | 1.34 lb/ft | 15.3–33.7 lb |
| 2×2 | 1-1/2″ × 1-1/2″ | 2.8 lb | 0.36 lb/ft | 4.1–9.2 lb |
| 2×3 | 1-1/2″ × 2-1/2″ | 4.7 lb | 0.59 lb/ft | 6.8–15.0 lb |
| 2×4 | 1-1/2″ × 3-1/2″ | 6.6 lb | 0.83 lb/ft | 9.5–20.9 lb |
| 2×6 | 1-1/2″ × 5-1/2″ | 10.4 lb | 1.31 lb/ft | 14.9–33.0 lb |
| 2×8 | 1-1/2″ × 7-1/4″ | 13.8 lb | 1.72 lb/ft | 19.9–44.0 lb |
| 2×10 | 1-1/2″ × 9-1/4″ | 17.6 lb | 2.20 lb/ft | 25.2–55.7 lb |
| 2×12 | 1-1/2″ × 11-1/4″ | 21.4 lb | 2.67 lb/ft | 30.5–67.4 lb |
| 4×4 | 3-1/2″ × 3-1/2″ | 15.5 lb | 1.94 lb/ft | 21.6–47.6 lb |
| 6×6 | 5-1/2″ × 5-1/2″ | 38.3 lb | 4.79 lb/ft | 51.4–114 lb |
Board-to-board variation of ±10-15% is normal even within one species and size. How these numbers are computed.
Related
- All species: wood species index
- By density: Lighter: N. White Cedar (SG 0.29) · Denser: Basswood (SG 0.32)