When it comes to outdoor building projects, cedar lumber is a favorite building material amongst homeowners and contractors alike. In addition to its natural beauty and resilience, cedar lumber can easily be cut, shaved, and sanded down to a particular shape or size. But what most people don’t realize is that there are a number of different ways to reuse the wood scraps, shavings, and sawdust that is produced by working with cedar lumber.
Some of the ways that you can make use of wood scraps, shaving, and sawdust include:
- Mulching – Mulching with wood is a great way to ensure a healthy and beautiful garden. Shavings and sawdust help prevent weed growth, increase water retention, and provide the soil with valuable nutrients as they decompose. In particular, sawdust is the ideal mulch for blueberries, rhododendrons, and other acid-loving evergreens. Wood shavings are also a beautiful decorative mulch to use around trees bushes.
- Animal Bedding – If you have horses, pigs, or livestock, then you’ll be glad to hear that sawdust and wood shavings make great animal bedding. The tiny wood particles are excellent at absorbing moisture and reducing odor. Sawdust and wood shavings become compact when wet, so cleanup is a breeze. The only drawback to using sawdust and wood shavings as bedding is that you will need a lot to adequately fill a stall.
- Heating – Another great use for excess wood scraps is heating. Large pieces of untreated scrap wood can be used as an alternative to firewood, while small pieces can be used as kindling. If you happen to have a wood-chip boiler in your home, you can use wood scraps to keep your family warm during the winter months.
For all of your lumber fencing and decking needs, visit J & W Lumber today. We offer a great selection of redwood, cedar, and rough Douglas fir lumber. If you have any questions about our products, contact us online or call one of our six locations around San Diego.
El Cajon: (619) 442-0658
Sorrento Valley: (858) 452-0520
San Marcos: (760) 727-1510
Escondido: (760) 745-6800
Murrieta: (951) 698-0215
Chula Vista: (619) 585-3620