Cypress
Description
One of the longest lasting woods, Cypress is known as the “the wood eternal”. It has a naturally occurring oil called cypressine that repels insects and prevents decay. Cypress is very versatile and can be used both for interiors and exteriors. For interiors it is often used as trim and to make cabinets. Because cypress is termite resistant it is valuable for use in construction such as house building boats, river piling, siding, shingles, flooring, outdoor furniture, greenhouses, and outdoor structures.
Species: Taxodium distichum
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Other Names: Cypress, Baldcypress, peggy cypress, pecky cypress Cypress Origin: United States (Louisiana, Kentucky, Delaware, Texas, Missouri, Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Illinois, Alabama, Oklahoma, Indiana, Virginia) Appearance: The appearance of cypress varies depending on the location of the tree. It has a light, yellow brown color with some boards having streaks of darker color and a straight grain. If the cypress was near water, such as lakes and ponds the tree often develops” knees” along the water’s edge which make the boards more interesting. Cypress that has been attached by fungi has interesting wholes and spots and is called pecky cypress. Tree Size: 80-120 ft (24-37 m) tall, 3-5 ft (1-1.5 m) trunk diameter Average Dried Weight: 32 lbs/ft3 (515 kg/m3) Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC): .42, .51 Janka Hardness: 510 lbf (2,270 N) Modulus of Rupture: 10,600 lbf/in2 (73.1 MPa) Elastic Modulus: 1,440,000 lbf/in2 (9.93 GPa) Crushing Strength: 6,360 lbf/in2 (43.9 MPa) Shrinkage: Radial: 3.8%, Tangential: 6.2%, Volumetric: 10.5%, T/R Ratio: 1.6 |
Drying: The drying method depends on the size of the wood. Any wood that is 1” in width (such as that used for siding) will be kiln dried. Any lumber that is over 2” wide will be air dried. Pecky Cypress is can be bought air dried or kiln dried. It requires 6 months of air drying before being kiln dried. It is important not to over dry cypress in the ovens because the outside will dry easily, and the interior will be moisture which causes faster cracking.
Workability: Cypress is easy to work with and one can glue, nail, and screwed finish it. Both hand tools and machine tools can be used without a problem, but sharp cutters are recommended to avoid tearout.
Maintenance: For interior cypress, washing with mild soap and water or any wood soap is enough. It can also be buffed and polished with any wood furniture polish. For exteriors, especially vertical applications such as siding and paneling, more maintenance is required because cypress will discolor, mildew and stain. In the places where cypress is nailed or screwed it will extractive bleed. This is due to contact with water. Black streaks will appear down from the screws or nails. Regularly brushing it off with a natural bristle brush and soap and water regularly will prevent such stains from penetrating the wood.
Preservation: Regularly washing the cypress, especially where it has nails and screws will prevent black streaks from forming. A water-repellent sealer with a mildew inhibitor can also increase the lifespan of cypress.
Sustainability: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) does not list cypress in its appendices. The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN) list cypress as a species of least concern. Cypress grows easily on its own and does not need to be planted.
Available Sizes
From 8 -24 feet in the following dimensions:
Available in Rough, S4S, S1 S2E, Tongue and groove
Would you like to talk to a hardwood decking specialist? We would love to help you call 954-404-8011