Cedar versus Pressure treated

Not all cedar is created equal. The really good stuff is hard to find and as you might guess cost a lot more than you would want to use in a fence.

The PT should last a lot longer than the usual cedar.

CCA treated is now being phased out with a new type of treatment, nobody knows how long the new PT will last, CCA,P.T. can last longer than cedar.

On Thu, 6 May 2004 18:18:37 -0400, "ivan" scribbled this interesting note:

I don't have any direct experience with these products but you might look into some other kinds of woods. A fellow who has a lot of wood working experience (high end wood carving, custom furniture, etc.) told me about cambera, inge or lyptus as good alternatives for exterior uses. He said "You might consider using Cambera, Inge or Lyptus for the project. They are very dense south American woods that are specifically imported for decks and docks. They outlast treated significantly. The places you described usually have the best lumber prices around for treated lumber. It fluctuates every year like this. Framing lumber and treated purchase are best made any time other than spring/summer."

Hope this helps.

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

I can't speak for pressure treated but after approximately 12 years my cedar split rail has about had it.

Split rail as in wood grain horizontal? If so that's one thing that leads to shorter life. Horizontal grain doesn't drain and promotes rot. Vertical grain can drain and lasts longer.

Mike

-snip-

That confirms my suspicions-- My 15 yr old pressure treated fence is in need of a paint job, but it structurally as sound as the day I finished it. [And if you're going with splits-- I have a short piece of that made from Locust posts that is at least 12 yrs old, has never been touched with any preservatives & is in perfect shape.]

Jim

I have PT posts set directly in the ground that support cedar fencing. The posts have outlasted the fencing twice and it looks like they will outlast the third time also.

Thanks Everyone for the replies. It looks like I will try the PT fence as it's 8 dollars a panel cheaper This is project summer as I am prepping my house for paint now and then the fence :-(((( Not much golf I'm afraid.

Thanks Ivan