Red Cedar Retaining Wall

[Strazznah]

I am looking to build a short (less than 3ft tall) retaining wall in my yard. I have an over-abundance of red cedar on my recreational property that I was thinking of harvesting and having cut into 6x6 or 8x8 posts/ties to use as horizontal beams in my retaining wall. How would these hold up to the elements and rot/decay? If I went this route would I need to treat them somehow?

 

[DavdH]

old growth red cedar last forever. Perfect use for red cedar.

 

[imagineero]

Don't treat or paint/varnish/oil them. Red cedar can certainly last well over 100 years if left to it's own devices. Lots of folks dont realise this and when it loses its lustre (especially as a weatherboard) they will paint or oil it. That starts off a vicious cycle of having to keep doing the same thing. If you leave it alone, it fades and looks shabby for a while, then it silvers and looks quite majestic. Over many years parts of the grain sink into the wood leaving other parts raised whic is a nice look too. You just have to live with it when it initially becomes a little shabby, and resist the temptation to pretty it up.

Shaun

 

[slowp]

I disagree. Cedar, and it is Western Red Cedar here, will rot just like other wood if put in contact with the ground untreated. It may just take a bit longer to rot. I tore down a bunch of decking and trailer skirting. It was all cedar as the folks who lived here worked at a cedar mill. Most of it was rotted. I would think you'd at least want something like railroad ties to use. Or figure out how to treat your cedar before using it. But I'm not an expert on that. I just want to say that cedar rots when exposed to rain year after year or the soil. That's why most folks use a sealer on their decks.

 

[Cody Colston]

Slowp is correct. Even old-growth, WRC heartwood will not last long in contact with the ground....perhaps five years. Any sapwood will rot quickly.

This is from the WRCLA (Western Red Cedar Lumber Association) regarding durability.

If exposed for prolonged periods to conditions where decay could be a factor, such as where the wood is in contact with the ground, cedar should be treated with suitable wood preservatives.

 

[DavdH]

this is true, I have also dug up Doug-fir barn beams and sills way over a 100 years buried that are still sound. Most of the cedar we got was 100's we cut of years on the ground and still sound. Fast growing any thing will soon rot. Any sap wood will be gone in a few weeks of any species.

 

[Strazznah]

So the consensus is...

to treat it or use something else? If I was to go this route and treat, is there anything available that I could use (without major investment in equipment) that would make it last as long as commercially treated lumber? What about tarring the sides that would be in contact with the soil? I really like the idea of harvesting wood off of my own property to use, but if it won't work, I don't want to waste the time/money. Thanks to all for the input!

 

[Big L]

I am looking to build a short (less than 3ft tall) retaining wall in my yard. I have an over-abundance of red cedar on my recreational property that I was thinking of harvesting and having cut into 6x6 or 8x8 posts/ties to use as horizontal beams in my retaining wall. How would these hold up to the elements and rot/decay? If I went this route would I need to treat them somehow?

Suppose there are a lot a factors that will determine how long your retaining wall will last without treatment ... like soil type, how well the soil drains, whether the sun hits the wall, how well it is built, etc ...

How long do you want it to last? Would 30 years be long enough before a rebuild would be required? I'm not saying your wall would last that long, but suppose it could!!

Came across an old stack of about 30 -40 eastern red cedar trees ranging in size from 10 to 35' that I believe my father harvested sometime around 1980. They were stacked in the woods, and it would appear the rot, or loss of integrity was uniform throughout ... no more rot at ground contact than at the top of the pile. I would say about 80% of each tree was intact.

Go for it Strazzzz