Coast Redwood

Coast Redwood is the timber of Sequoia sempervirens, the towering evergreen conifer of the fog belt along coastal Northern California and a narrow strip of southwestern Oregon — the tallest tree species on Earth. In the trade the wood is sold simply as "redwood" or "California redwood," and it has long been prized for a rare combination of light weight, dimensional stability, and exceptional natural decay resistance.

The sample shown is characteristic of the species: a warm reddish-brown heartwood with pronounced, closely spaced concentric growth rings and a clear straight radial grain. That ring pattern — soft earlywood alternating with darker, denser latewood — is a defining visual signature of redwood and the reason quartersawn ("vertical grain") boards are so highly valued.

Heartwood ranges from a light pinkish or cinnamon red through warm reddish-brown, deepening and dulling toward brown with age and weathering. The sapwood is a narrow, pale, near-white band, sharply distinct from the colored heart. Grain is usually straight with a coarse but even texture; the wood has a low to moderate luster. Old-growth stock shows very tight, uniform rings, while faster-grown second-growth lumber has wider, more prominent rings. Highly figured material — curl, and especially the intensely swirled burl known as "vavona" — comes from stumps and root crowns.

Redwood is a distinctly light, low-density softwood, averaging roughly 26-28 lb/ft³ (about 420-450 kg/m³) at 12% moisture, with a Janka hardness of only about 420-450 lbf — soft, and easily dented. Its standout property is durability: the heartwood is rated durable to very durable, naturally resistant to decay and insect attack thanks to its tannins and extractives. Sapwood is not durable. The wood is also dimensionally stable, with low shrinkage and little tendency to warp or check.

Redwood's decay resistance and stability make it a classic outdoor and architectural wood: exterior siding, fascia, trim, decking, fencing, pergolas, garden structures, planters, and greenhouse framing. It has a long history in outdoor furniture, hot tubs, tanks, and cooling towers where wet-service durability matters.

Indoors it is used for paneling, millwork, doors, and casework valued for warm color and stability. Its light weight and even texture suit it to some pattern-making and light construction. Figured burl (vavona) is a favorite of turners and is sliced into decorative veneer for furniture and instrument accents. Because it is soft and low in strength for its size, redwood is not a structural framing timber in the way Douglas-fir is, and it is a poor choice where surface hardness or wear resistance is needed.

Redwood is easy and pleasant to work with both hand and machine tools; it cuts, planes, and sands with little effort and holds a crisp profile in molding. Because it is soft and often has pronounced earlywood/latewood contrast, straight-grained stock works best — brittle latewood and any interlocked or burl grain can crumble or tear out, and sharp, low-angle tooling with light cuts helps. The wood is soft enough to dent and crush easily, so it needs a gentle hand at the bench and careful clamping.

It glues, screws, and nails well (blunt-tipped fasteners reduce splitting), and it takes stains and finishes readily, though its open, absorbent earlywood can drink finish unevenly. It weathers to a soft silver-gray if left unsealed outdoors. Redwood's extractives are somewhat acidic and can corrode ordinary steel and cause blue-black stains in the presence of moisture, so stainless or hot-dipped galvanized fasteners are recommended outdoors.

Caution: redwood is not chemically toxic, but the fine dust is a known respiratory irritant and sensitizer; long-term exposure has been associated with nasal and sinus effects and asthma-like reactions in some workers, so use dust collection and a respirator. The species carries no CITES listing, though wild old-growth harvest is heavily restricted (see availability).

Second-growth redwood is readily available in the western United States, especially California, as decking, siding, and dimensional lumber, and is exported in smaller volumes elsewhere. Old-growth, tight-ring "vertical grain" heart redwood is now scarce and expensive, since most remaining old-growth forest is protected in parks and reserves and no longer logged. Prices span a wide range: common construction-grade second-growth is moderately priced, while clear, wide, old-growth or reclaimed heart boards and burl (vavona) command a strong premium.

Sustainability is a genuine consideration. Sequoia sempervirens is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List due to the historic loss of old-growth forest, but it is not listed on any CITES appendix, and managed second-growth plantations are actively harvested. FSC-certified redwood is available. Reclaimed redwood — salvaged from old tanks, bridges, and buildings — is a popular way to obtain old-growth-quality wood without new logging.