Redwood does not grow in New England, has never grown in New England, and is not the historically correct material for the great majority of traditional New England exterior work. It appears anyway — in mid-20th century construction, in certain restoration matching situations, and in applications where its specific decay resistance solves a problem cedar and pine cannot. Knowing when redwood is actually correct, rather than simply available, is the point of this entry.
Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) has a deep reddish-brown heartwood, straight and even grain, and a visual warmth distinct from the paler tones of eastern white pine or cedar. Old-growth redwood, increasingly rare, has a tighter grain than younger second-growth material. It does not look like a New England wood, and on a traditional New England building it reads as imported, because it is.
Redwood heartwood has excellent natural decay resistance, comparable to cedar, and holds paint and stain well. It is dimensionally stable. Sapwood, by contrast, has poor decay resistance and should not be specified for exterior exposure.
Redwood entered the regional building supply chain significantly in the mid-20th century, when it was nationally marketed and widely available at lumber yards, sometimes more so than regional species. Houses built or renovated from roughly 1940 to 1980 in New England may have redwood trim, siding, or decking installed during that period, not as a historically considered choice but as what the yard stocked.
Redwood is correct only when matching existing redwood material in a restoration of a mid-20th-century building, or in the rare case where its specific decay resistance is required and a local species cannot meet the requirement. It is not correct as a substitute for white pine or cedar on a Colonial, Federal, or Greek Revival building, where it is historically and visually wrong.
From specialty lumber dealers — it is not a regional stock item in New England. For restoration matching, confirm grade and heartwood content before ordering; specify all-heartwood (clear heart) grade for any exterior exposure.
Clear heart redwood only for restoration matching of existing mid-20th-century redwood material, or for specific decay-resistance requirements that regional species cannot meet. Not appropriate as a general substitute for white pine, cedar, or other New England species on traditional buildings of the Colonial through Greek Revival periods.
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