I am going to line a walk-in closet with 1×8 T&G Port Orford cedar. I want the cedar smell to remain, so, should I leave it unfinished, or is there a finish that won’t suppress it?
Thanks,
Jack
I am going to line a walk-in closet with 1×8 T&G Port Orford cedar. I want the cedar smell to remain, so, should I leave it unfinished, or is there a finish that won’t suppress it?
Thanks,
Jack
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Replies
Leave it raw, and resand when it quits smelling like a hampster.
I put cedar wainscotting in one of our bathrooms and finished it with water-based polyurethane that I wiped on with a rag. That was the end of the destinctive cedar smell.
Jack
The smell of cdar comes from volatile oils INSIDE of each wood cell. break the cell walls by machining or sanding and those oils begin to evaporate slowly. Over ime, the smell fades as the oil dries up, then youy can lightly sand again toopen up more cells and the oils they contain.
But cover them up with a finish and you will have stopped that evaporation - and the smell.
be warned though, tht PO cedar is somewhat more toxic than many other cedars. I ended up having a reaction thatput me in the hospital ER from becoming sensitized to it after a few years. Keep in mind that if you start having constant flu=like symptoms, you might need to apply a finish later to isolate yourself from thed problem.
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I use a LOT of POC as interior finish.
Most notably, the first time I used it as an interior finish was in a large vacation home on a nearby lake.
The home was very high end at the time it was built (mid-70's) for a retired physician and his wife. The interior was dark with the Mediterranean carved trim, hand-made tile, heavy beams.....and deep pile gold carpet, diagonal VG OG Redwood planking in the bedrooms along with popcorn ceilings....all in all, it was kind of oppressive and hideous while sporting a lot of good craftsmanship and expensive materials.
The home is accessable only by boat, so when the owners became unable to cope with the difficulties of boat access they sold it.
The new owners live out of state and wanted a finished rustic (my specialty) feel to the place.
That was 12 years ago and I used rough sawn POC with drawknifed edges on the walls with hand peeled log trim. Did the ceilings with planed T&G POC.
I was concerned at first because the POC odor can be a little overpowering. But after a couple coats of satin polyurethane, the beauty of the wood was enhanced and the odor, while still present, was mellowed.
Today, I still do work on that home from time to time and the POC scent is as nice as it was 12 years ago.
I know Piffen has some reaction to the stuff, but he's the only one I've heard of who does. (I don"t doubt him; I'm allergic to both penicillen and Pepto-Bismol for cryin' out loud).
In the years between that project, I've used POC in at least 15 homes (including my own) and the smell has never died in any of them. I've had to do the sanding thing on Tennessee Red Cedar/aromatic cedar, but never POC.
The only thing I can attribute that to is that the side facing the studs was never coated.