A S K    U S
Do you have one of those redwood questions that is not so frequently asked? Email us and we'll send you an answer.

M O R E   D E T A I L S
For more information on exterior finishes view the exterior finishes page.

M O R E    D E T A I L S
The USDA Forest Products Laboratory has several excellent documents on finishing wood in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.

w h y   r e d w o o d ?

Why should I use redwood for my project?

wh a t   a b o u t   d e c k s
a n d   f e n c e s ?

What redwood grade should be used for my deck posts or fence posts?

What decking and joist spans should be used when designing my redwood deck?

What can I do to build a deck surface which will look good for a long time?

Can I use redwood and still build an economical deck?

What redwood grades should I use for a top-of-the-line luxury deck or fence?

w h a t   a b o u t  
r e d w o o d   g r a d e s ?

If I specify Clear All Heart redwood, will it always be kiln dried?

Grade rules sometimes refer to "occasional pieces"—what do they mean by that?

Can Clear grade redwood contain knots?

Grade descriptions are based upon what dimension of lumber?

What grades of redwood lumber must be grade stamped?

What makes B grade different from other architectural grades?

w h a t   a b o u t   f a s t e n e r s ?

What type of nail or fastener should I use to attach decking to joists?

Can I use deck clips or other fasteners that hide the nails on my deck?

What type of nails should I use for redwood siding?

Does a ringed-shank nail really provide more holding power?

How long do siding nails have to be?

Should I allow for an expansion gap when installing rabbeted bevel siding?

What should I know about installing plain bevel siding?

What nails should I use on my redwood interior paneling?

w h a t   a b o u t   c o a t i n g s,
p a i n t s   a n d   s t a i n s ?

Do I need to finish exterior redwood?

How do I keep my new redwood siding looking new and natural?

What type of finish is more durable than clear water repellent but still retains a natural appearance?

How can I achieve an immediate weathered appearance with a low maintenance finish?

What finish should I use on my redwood interior?

Are there any special precautions I should take when painting redwood siding?

What is back-priming and why is it important that I back-prime my siding?

My redwood deck has remained unfinished for several years. How should I prepare the deck and bring back its color before refinishing?

w h a t ’ s    b e i n g   d o n e   t o  
p r o t e c t   t h e   r e d w o o d s ?

Are there different types of redwood?

Is the Coast Redwood an endangered species?

Are Coast Redwoods protected in parks?

When were the redwood parks created?

Is redwood lumber harvested from parks?

Where is redwood harvested?

What happens to lands after redwoods are harvested?

Do redwoods grow slowly?

Are we losing our ancient redwood forests to logging?

Should there be tougher regulations on logging redwoods?