When selecting wood for long-lasting projects, understanding cedar wood hardness is essential—its unique strength and resilience make it a trusted choice across industries.
Understanding Cedar Wood Hardness
Cedar wood, particularly eastern red cedar and western red cedar, exhibits moderate to good hardness on the Janka scale, typically ranging between 850 and 950 lbf. This durability resists wear, impact, and damage from moisture, making it well-suited for both interior and outdoor use. Its natural oils further enhance resistance to decay and insect infestation.
Comparative Hardness and Performance
Compared to harder woods like oak or maple, cedar is softer but compensates with flexibility and ease of workability. While it scores lower on raw hardness, its natural resistance to environmental stressors often surpasses denser species in real-world durability, especially in humid or coastal climates where rot and insect damage are concerns.
Practical Applications of Cedar’s Hardness
Due to its balanced hardness and resilience, cedar is widely used in outdoor furniture, fencing, roofing shingles, and decorative cladding. Its ability to withstand weathering without frequent replacement ensures long-term value, while its workability supports intricate craftsmanship in cabinetry and architectural details.
Cedar wood hardness, though moderate, delivers exceptional performance in durability and resistance—making it a smart, sustainable choice for projects demanding both strength and longevity. For reliable, natural durability, cedar remains a top selection in modern design and construction.
Wood Hardness Chart Durability is a major factor to be considered when selecting a floor. Schenck & Company is pleased to provide you with this valuable resource to assist you with your decision. Our chart is based on the Janka Hardness Scale which is the industry standard for gauging the ability of various wood species to resist denting and tolerate normal wear.
It also indicates the effort. The Janka scale is used to determine the relative hardness of particular domestic or exotic wood species. The Janka test measures the amount of force required to embed a 0.444" steel ball into the wood to half of its diameter.
Woods with a higher rating are harder than woods with a lower rating. The scale used in the table is pounds. Want to know the hardness rating of a particular softwood? You've come to the right place.
We created an easy-to-reference chart that lists the Janka hardness ratings for different North American softwoods. From Douglas fir & redwood to different varieties of cedar & pine, our chart will cover most softwoods you'll encounter in DIY projects. With our last wood hardness chart, several noted that there were certain woods missing that should be in the list, so we've expanded the list to 224 different species.
Explore the mechanical properties of North American softwoods, including specific gravity, hardness, strength, stability, and common uses for woodworking enthusiasts. The Cedar Wood Hardness Scale measures the hardness of cedar using the Janka test, which rates it at approximately 900 lbf (pounds-force). This places cedar in the softwood category, making it easier to work with than many hardwoods.
Cedar is soft, but is it strong? We translate its Janka rating into practical durability for siding, furniture, and construction. The Janka wood hardness scale lists the hardness of wood species where the highest ranking makes up the hardest woods. This guide outlines 113 domestic and foreign species of wood, with their hardness scale rating.
Relative Hardness Table for Domestic and Imported Woods Janka Numbers For Domestic & Exotic Wood Species The Janka Side Hardness test measures the force required to press an 11.28mm (0.444 inch) steel ball to half its diameter cross-grain into a block of wood. This force is recorded in both pounds-force (lbf) and kilo-Newtons (kN). What are the Characteristics of cedar? Table with test values for strength, rigidity and uses for cedar wood.