About the wood
Cypress
Taxodium distichum
The swamp tree of the South, state tree of Louisiana, deciduous and knee-rooted. Sinker cypress is old-growth pulled from riverbeds and cut warmer and darker than anything growing today; pecky cypress is fungal damage the trade turned into a look.
- Janka
- 510 lbf
- Density
- 32.0 lb/ft³
- Origin
- Southeastern United States
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern
Working & finishing
Sharp cutters and light passes are recommended to avoid tearout, and the wood has a moderate dulling effect on edges. It has good gluing, nailing, finishing and paint-holding properties. Raw surfaces feel greasy, so the shop wipes with mineral spirits before glue-up and before the first coat. A clear oil or hardwax warms the straw color indoors; a penetrating exterior oil suits a porch table and is easy to renew. Reported as a sensitizer, most commonly respiratory irritation.
Care
Wipe spills and clean with a damp cloth. At 510 lbf it is a soft top and will dent under hard use, so use boards and trivets. Old-growth heartwood is rated durable to very durable outdoors; wood from younger trees is only moderately durable and wants a roof and a finish. Any wood outside grays and moves without an annual oil.