Why should I choose western red cedar over pressure treated southern yellow pine for my new fence?
Western red cedar is not a sap wood and therefore is much more dimensionally stable than southern yellow pine. It tends not to warp, crack and twist as much as a southern yellow pine product and it accepts a stain or a seal much better. If left unstained or sealed it will weather to a light silver similar to the color of the bark on trees. Western red cedar has a natural resistance to rot and termite infestation, and for this reason is still used today for siding and roofing material on upper end custom homes. Let’s face it: there is a reason the residential building industry does not use pressure treated southern yellow pine for siding or roofing material. It’s too dimensionally unstable and it does not accept a paint or a stain very well.
