Cedar Deck W/Aluminum Railing, Union, KY area

This is a 14' x 30' cedar deck, with a small bumpout that spills over into custom cascading steps.  440 square feet of space, including steps.  We also installed black American Aluminum railing sections between each cedar rail post.  The familyhandyman.com gives us some info and tips for cedar decking.  If the natural look of wood is tops on your list, use cedar. The heartwood of the tree (the deeper colored red part, not the white sap part) is rot resistant. Cedar doesn’t readily absorb moisture— and, since moisture is what creates twisting and splitting, cedar decking tends to lie flat and straight. Most carpenters figure a lifespan of 15 to 20 years for cedar deck boards, but it can deteriorate faster when used for ground-level decks and for shaded decks that are slow to dry out.

To retain the color, you have to clean it and reseal it every year or two, and even then it’s a losing battle. I’ve never seen a 10-year-old cedar deck that still had that warm, rich look of new wood. Cedar is also soft; when used for stairs or for decks where furniture gets dragged around a lot, the edges in particular can get beat up. Finally, the cost of the cedar is moderate, more than pressure-treated but somewhat less than composite

If you would like more info or a free estimate for a cedar deck, please call us anytime!