In the case of wood, there are many options available but what people love to do is compare. Cedar Vs cypress wood comparison still startles people as they both are efficient yet different from each other in many ways.
It is evident that people simultaneously use cedar and cypress wood for different wood projects and to decorate their houses. That’s why comparing two important types of wood is hard to some extent. But even the slightest difference can bring an immense effect on your idea about wood.
The Primal Difference
From the outer level, cedar and cypress do not vary much from each other except for the latter is denser than the former. For this reason, cedar is way more flexible than cypress but that does not lower the effective quality of cypress wood. While cedar is semi-hardwood, cypress is extremely hardwood. Besides, cedar wood offers an aromatic soothing scent that spreads from the oil extraction of the wood. Cypress spreads a strong sour smell, though some people do not complain about it. From the durability, cedar cannot surpasses cypress just naturally. It cannot withstand most of the crucial calamities and insects as firmly as cypress.
Apart from these prominent differences, there are some other differences that make these two types significant. Then again, their resemblance is also bewildering to some extent. To be led to the right path, follow this article including this compact comparison table.
Cedar vs Cypress Wood: Discovering the Key Differences
| Features | Cedar | Cypress |
| Density | Less | More |
| Durability | Less | More |
| Smell | Aromatic | Irritable |
| Rot-Resistance | Less | More |
| Uses | Interior | Exterior |
| Grain Pattern | Defined | Not Defined |
| Cost | Varies | Varies |
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About Cedar Wood
Among the popular woods, people always consider cedar as one of them. Because this wood is pretty much flexible and has a unique grain pattern, people like to use cedar tree wood for making many useful pieces of furniture for their houses.
Besides, the essential oil that it extracts offers a sober smell and also works as a repellent for molds and insects. This also ensures the durability of cedar wood to a great extent. The color of the wood is reddish and brownish with a yellowish outline. But the defined and harmonious grain pattern adds extra beauty to the wooden workpiece.
However, what is best appreciable in the case of wooden wood is its amazing strength to stand all types of harshness. It even does not attract moisture and thus deformation of this wood is pretty much impossible. The semi-hardness of the wood let it bend in front of all kind of fastening elements including nailing and screwing. Thus, any wood project has become easier when it is cedar wood.
Things We Liked about Cedar / Pros
- Offers a very natural color with a great-looking and harmonious grain pattern
- Semi-hard and flexibly can bend and prevent infestation
- Can stand both dampened and hot weather
- Spreads an aromatic scent and can be used for making furniture, moldings, floors, and all
Things We Didn’t Like about Cedar / Cons
- It is less durable than cypress wood
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About Cypress Wood
Cypress is an available wood for the inhabitants of the eastern part of the United States. People use this wood for the making of exterior and interior furniture, musical instruments, and so on. Fences, boats, and other wood projects.Also, Leyland cypress wood is famous for horticulture and hedges. The texture of this wood is complementary to the dark brownish color of the wood.
Even though it comes with an irregular grain pattern, it has fame for its amazing density within the fiber. It does not have much flexibility, yet can cope with many rough situations. For carpentry, the use of this wood is inexplicable. It has a very ethereal smell of the oil.
The smell is pretty much strong but this prevents the wood from the attack of mold and insects. Cypress wood has great durability if you know where to implement it. Generally, cypress wood is more capable of preventing moisture than cedar wood and thus tackles the weather most tactfully.
Things We Liked about Cypress / Pros
- Comes with amazing color for the making of amazing workpieces
- Offers great hardness and won’t warp easily
- Stand the harsh weather more professionally than cedar
- Prevents moths and molds from attack
Things We Didn’t Like about Cypress / Cons
- The smell can be irritating for people who have allergic problem
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Difference between Cedar and Cypress Wood
Even though there are several similarities between these two types of wood, it’s obvious that they differ from each other in some significant ways. From the closer view, you can actually inspect a lot of differences. We will be talking about those now.
Wood Type
From the outer surface, there are some remarkable identification features with which you can differentiate cedar trees from cypress trees. Cedar wood has a reddish color and a yellowish tint in it. Also, the grain pattern is visible and way more sharp and more defined than cypress wood.
Usually, cypress wood has a brownish color in it and that’s why it looks beautiful even though it does not carry any harmonious grain pattern. However, cypress wood is hardwood and denser whereas cedar wood is semi-hard and has many pores in it.
Durability
Both cedar and cypress come with considerable durability. But if we compare one with the other then cypress can stand more crucial situations than cedar wood. Cypress can resist moisture more successfully as it grows in swamped areas, it can stand the adversity of that kind of weather more easily than cedar.
But then again, because cypress is hardwood and denser than cedar, it gets cracked easily. That meansit has less flexibility than cedar. That’s why nailing, screwing, and doing other wood projects seem easier with cedar wood.
Smell
Both cypress and cedar woods are able to extract oil from within the fiber. But the smell of the former is ethereal and strongly irritable to some extent. Some people can get affected by the powerful smell if they are prone to allergic reactions.
Cedar, on the other hand, offers a very soothing aromatic smell. It’s pretty much refreshing and the oil from where the smell comes out leaves the surface nourished and fresh and keeps the insects away too.
Resistant Ability
Both cedar and cypress have the capability to resist insects, moths, and fungi to a great extent. But while comparing, many people ask out of curiosity, “Is cedar or cypress more rot resistant?” comparatively, it is cypress that wins over cedar and extracts a sap like juniper trees. It won’t let the insect or molds rot the surface that easily.
Uses
As we have already seen that there are some remarkable differences between cedar and cypress wood, their uses also vary due to these variations. Basically, cypress lumbers are more compatible with making heavily used things for their more durability than cedar lumbers.
For the making of boats, guitars, and fences, there can be no alternative to cypress wood. On the other hand, cedar woods are perfect for making moldings for windows and doors, low-key wood projects, other important pieces of furniture, and so on.
Fencing
For making a solid fence, if you are to compare cypress siding Vs cedar, then the former is more eligible as it tackles harsh weather more professionally than the latter.
Cost
The price range of both cedar and cypress wood varies according to their availability and location. Because cedar is almost unavailable in places of the southeastern U.S., it is expensive in those areas. Then again, cypress is expensive all over the places of western U.S. due to its lack of growth there.
Boards
In the case of adopting wood between cypress and cedar to make boards, the former offers more durability than the latter. Also, the cypress is denser and works better.
So, which one is better?
Examining the differences, you can already tell that you can use both cypress and cedar for some specific jobs. For example, as the cypress is more durable, you can use it for exterior use. Also, for marine work, cypress wood is efficient. Similarly, cedar has great grain patterns, so for interior decoration and furniture, use this wood.
Related Questions
What is better cypress or cedar?
Both cypress and cedar have admirable features. The former is good for making heavy usable materials and the latter for decorative materials.
Is cypress wood the same as cedar?
Many people guess from the outside that cypress and cedar are the same wood but clearly, they are not. From a closer look, cypress is more brownish than cedar and cedar is more defined in look than cypress.
What is cypress wood good for?
Cypress wood has amazing strength, especially, against dampened weather. That’s why, using it for exterior and marine works is more useful.
Is cypress as rot-resistant as cedar?
Cypress is in fact more rot-resistant than cedar. As cypress is a tree from swamp forests of the southern part of US, it knows how not to rot so easily.
What wood is better than cedar?
Cypress is better than cedar wood. The former is stronger and more durable. Also, pressure-treated wood is better than cedar too.
