Ms. Irma (the Hurricane) killed the fence in our back yard. It was close to thirty years old, so replace is a better option than repair.

My neighbor, who was a general contractor and who does these things, has offered to handle this. The fence is between his yard and mine, and he has dogs.

He told me that he could use pressure treated wood or cedar. The cedar would be about $350.00 more expensive.

My question: Is there a distinct advantage to the cedar, that would make it worth three hundred fifty dollars more? I don't think so, but I don't know enough about this stuff, so I'm reaching out here, to see if we have a wood fence expert on board.

EDIT to add: I forgot to say that my neighbor will handle the project, and we will share the cost.

Only advantage to cedar is that some folks don't like the look of PT lumber.

PT is stronger and will last longer.

I paid extra and got the cedar. Weighs considerably less than pt pine and is naturally insect resistant. Mine has not warped or split like some pt does. A transparent oil based natural cedar stain (I used Cabot) looks great on mine. This picture is about 12 years old when fence was near new. Still looks good but could use another coat of stain.

The pressure treated pickets I see used around here are for shit. Big knots in them, warp easily, split badly. Maybe that's just a function of the sorry lumber yard we have in Jerkwater.

My parents deck is made of cedar and it's over 60 years old, it still looks great.

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
The pressure treated pickets I see used around here are for shit. Big knots in them, warp easily, split badly. Maybe that's just a function of the sorry lumber yard we have in Jerkwater.

More likely the shitty performance of P/T wood (I won't call it lumber) is due to the really shitty pine they use for the boards, beams, etc

We laid PT down as a deck on a fairly large patio, as well as the railings.

Lasted less than 2 years before it started splitting, cracking, warping. Last time we were down there at the house 3 years ago, I had to put the deck off limits because of the danger of people falling through the floor.

And I had treated it all with preservative, stain, etc a couple times after it was installed.

Given the choice between cedar and PT, Cedar every time.

In the Florida sun pressure treated will fade out to a nice gray color in a year or two.

I'd save the money, buy the longer lasting PT, and let it age. Once the green tinge is gone you can stain it, seal it, or whatever.

It's already treated. Good luck.

The new formulation of the pressure treatment is not what it used to be. Only hot dipped galvanized or stainless steel fasteners should be used because the new formulation will dissolve regular nails and staples. The new treatment doesn’t last as long as the old formulation.

Pressure treated for in ground only. Select the best cedar you can find for the rails and pickets. Let it age at least six months before you stain it. The cost differential is not that great considering you may be looking at that fence for many years.

quote:

Originally posted by lbsid:
you may be looking at that fence for many years.

Not so sure about that. I'm 81, and in the process of dealing with prostate cancer that has returned: the radiation did not kill it all.

Here in Florida we always use Cedar since its good for keeping the bugs away and lasts forever

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by lbsid:
you may be looking at that fence for many years.

Not so sure about that. I'm 81, and in the process of dealing with prostate cancer that has returned: the radiation did not kill it all.

OK, so stain it right away.

"Not so sure about that. I'm 81, and in the process of dealing with prostate cancer that has returned: the radiation did not kill it all."

Sorry to hear that LR.

I like the look and durability of cedar. Here in our part of Texas, we expect at least 15 years out of a cedar fence, usually more and it will look great if you stain it every 3-4 years. We just replaced part of ours last year after 20 years. But if longevity is not your main concern, maybe save a few bucks.

Wow. Obviously, I'm in the minority on this one.

My experience is with Eastern White Cedar. Not very rugged. I have built a couple of fences with Western Red Cedar trim and it's holding up very well indeed, but Cheesy Crisps! it's expensive.

My experience with PT has been much more positive that what is being discussed here. Some of that is no doubt due to it being old enough to be the old formula that actually worked.

I do agree that PT pickets are nasty, especially the prefab sections at the Big Box stores. They start out ugly and just get worse with age.



I did this for my daughter out of Western Red Cedar. The frame is spruce 2x4 with PT 4x4 posts. That's two 8 foot sections, clad one side (outside) with WRC and the posts wrapped with WRC. The lumber alone was over $500 IIRC.

I did the gate out of what I had laying around and the fence tops are left over from a gazebo-style canopy I threw away after the canvas top rotted out.

As someone who's lived in Florida my entire life (some 50+ years), and has installed several fences myself over that time, my vote is always for PT. All the pluses of cedar noted above are correct, except for it lasting forever. A good hurricane or micro-burst will do away with just about any wood panel fencing. And those are a reality of living here. Irma took out my rear fence, and I've since replaced it myself with a new PT fence. I must be getting old because it really killed me for a couple days. That replacement will suffice until it either (1) Gets destroyed by another hurricane and I have to repair/replace it again, or, (2) We retire outside Florida and someone else can decide what to do with it.

Not perfect, but not bad if I do say so myself.

Could I make a suggestion?

Do you want a fence that will last till the end of time?

Ipe.

Will it be expensive? Absolutely.

But you'll only build it once, and there is no maintenance.

Or, do Ipe 4x4s and supports, and pickets of your choice.

They call it Ironwood for a reason.

If you don't want to go to that extreme, then get a cedar fence, but treat it yearly with the stain/sealant of your choice.

I'm telling you though, that if I was going to build a fence I didn't want to build twice...

Ipe.

quote:

Is there a distinct advantage to the cedar, that would make it worth three hundred fifty dollars more?

Yes, I think so.
Cedar is lighter, looks better and ages better than PT.
PT is stronger though.
I always have used and prefer cedar.
Pressure Treated just looks cheap, IMO.

This spring I am replacing the wood fence made of PT between my neighbor and me. I was thinking of having a vinyl fence installed, no hurricanes here in MI.

I don't use wooden post anymore, I use the round galvinized 2 inch post which will never rot and are stronger in cement than wood. Theres brackets that let you mount the horizontal 2x4s then you can attach your pickets. I see this more and more in Colorado where our winds can reach gusts of 80mph