Yellow Cedar, also known as Alaskan Yellow Cedar or Western Cypress, is popular due to its unique properties and appearance. Graded to the same exacting quality control product standards as Western Red Cedar, these products weather to a lighter, more silvery gray than Western Red Cedar. Alaskan Cedar Tapersawns are an extremely durable product that turns a natural silvery gray once weathered. A Tapersawn red cedar shake is sawn both faces but is thicker than a shingle. The added thickness enables it to be applied as a shake (2 ply with paper/felt interlay) resulting in lower application costs. Many architects like the more defined shadow line of the heavier butt.