Pressure Treated Wood Versus Cedar Fence

A common choice when choosing a wood fence is the decision whether to go with cedar or pressure treated pine.

Pressure treated wood versus cedar fence.

Cedar pressure treated wood is the sturdier and more weather proof of the two. Using cedar for your deck or fence will give your property a rich warm and timeless style. Additional materials other than boards. Particularly common are the use of these materials in split rail fences and picket fences.

Learn more about how to build a wood fence for your property. Cedar is a drier wood than pressure treated pine. Often homeowners make the mistake of working with pressure treated pine simply because it is commonly available and requires a smaller initial investment. Pine wood fence usually costs somewhere between 9 24 per linear foot whereas cedar wood fence costs more in comparison at 20 35 per linear foot.

For this reason we recommend using pressure treated pine for the posts and cedar for the rest of the fence. Cedar is a very stable wood. The lumber s longevity depends on how much preservative is in the wood a characteristic that varies among grades of pressure treated lumber. Cedar wood fences stand the test of time and look great decades after installation.

At 10 years a fence using cedar boards will have a much nicer appearance compared to a pressure treated pine board fence. On average cedar at 17 to 22 per square foot runs about 20 to 30 more than pressure treated pine and 10 to 12 per square foot. For above ground use wood with 0 25 pound of preservative per cubic foot is adequate but wood that will be in contact with the ground such as that used for fence posts pergola posts or deck posts should contain 0 4 pound per square foot. However they are less durable against soil than pressure treated pine in posts.

It s highly resistant to insect attack and rot and special versions rated for ground contact can be buried in soil and will continue to shrug off decay for decades. It also smells great and while pine smells nice too once it s been treated it loses its natural aroma so how pine smells is completely irrelevant to your fencing needs. In fence posts cedar lasts several years without rotting. Pine does better in more humid areas but must have time to dry out after treatment before being installed in very dry places because it may shrink or buckle due to the.

Price factors also depend on. It copes very well in dry climates but in very wet and humid places the boards may expand over time which can cause problems. Pressure treated lumber is used commonly for residential fencing. Pressure treated pt pine boards can warp and shrink as quickly as one month after installation.

Cedar wood fences compliment any home and can be created in a number of different styles to suit your needs. It does not warp shrink or check split as pressure treated pine will likely do eventually.