Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Time for a new deck. Cedar or pressure-treated??

We have a 16'x20' cedar deck that's ready for replacement. I'm less than impressed with how the cedar held up and want to stick with wood to keep the cost down so I'm leaning towards switching to pressure treated lumber this time. If anyone has experience with both I'd like to hear your thoughts on which one you preferred and why.....thank you!

Trex.

The pressure treated looks kinda shabby after a few years.I'm not a fan of the synthetic.I am going to rebuild mine next year all redwood.The one I have now is redwood and was built in 76.The only thing that is rotten is the pine floor joist supporting it.I am told they put rubber tape on them now to help that

Definitely cedar.

Trex and other plastic composites are HOT on the feet and really hot to sit around in the sun.

Think having a backyard BBQ on a hot summer day on your black shingled roof.

They also expand and contract more than any other decking product.

If installing in the cold, a gap of 1/8 to 1/4 inch at the butt joints is required( butt ugly), Otherwise when the sun hits it it will expand so much that it will actually break the screws. Yes, even the high dollar screws designed for trex.

It will look nice if you are a fan if [bleep] up butt joints, but using it and walking on it will not be an option unless the deck is out of direct sunlight.

Cedar is not as it used to be
The Old growth cedar from decades ago is all but gone. What we have today is lowland fast growth. Soft, not as resistant as old growth and will not only not old a finish it will not hold up over time.

Treated sucks. It is treated when the wood is wet(still green), after installing it shrinks so much your joints can look like Schit.
Plus it needs to sit for at least a year for it to air dry be for you can stain or seal it.

What’s left. Brown treated if it is treated after kiln drying. More money that plain treated but worth it. Or a composite that is very light in color with special hidden fasteners.

I just re-did ours with treated 5/4 x 6 deck lumber from Lowe's. I rifled through about 5 for every one that I bought. most were so wet I could barely lift a 12 footer. but they are finally drying out, and look pretty OK. cheaper than cedar I am sure, but I did use some cedar for trim to cover ugly edges.

Cedar...no contest baby.

in general i like pressure trtd syp. it can be replaced, and sometimes is. 6/4, radius edged.

if one has got the money, or the hankering, heart cypress or as close as you can get.

small production, ain't cheap, but it's been around.

Just me, I'd go for CCA in .6 retention if you can find it. They say proper screws are needed to not corrode.

+1

Cedar

Pt poles and framing, trex decking. No slivers, staining, rotting etc. I scrub mine down once a year, looks new...

Timbertech decking and fascia . Pressure treated framing. Fortress Railing.

Did one last year, p.t. framing with teak decking. Really nice.
Want one to last and set on live wood, Ipe (ironwood). Pain in the ass to work with but longevity and aesthetically hard to beat

Pressure treated will keep it's looks if you keep it sealed.

I prefer pressure treated for the decking and support material. Cedar for everything else.

Living in the rain-soaked blowhole of Aleutian Hell has taught me a little on durability of materials in a land where everything rusts, rots and grows mold, moss and mildew.

The one main thing about having a deck, you never have nothing to do.

I’m in the same boat. Small deck job coming up and I’m about done with cedar.

Thinking synthetic or hardwood decking over PT frame with bolt down iron rail. Been looking at cumaru decking from Advantage lumber. Sure looks nice.

https://www.advantagelumber.com/cumaru_decking.htm

Need to look for some reviews.

Fantastic stuff... unusual smell when cutting, but everything you could ask in decking. Well, except for predrilling...

Redwood is far from being the same everywhere. Avoid the incredibly light stuff from new growth ("sustainable") sources. It grows too fast so it is soft and lacks decay resistence.

Cypress is incredible, but is slippery when wet.