Life span for cedar is about 15 years vs hardwood 25 years .
With minimum maintenance (every 3 years) cedar will last about 20 years, hardwood about 30-35.
Because the hardwood is a more dense wood, the mildew and algaes can not inhibit to decay the wood, so it
will require less maintenance.
Maintenance requirement for hardwood is to clean it (pressure washing ) and apply two (2) coats of oil base stain (Messmer).
The price is a bit more for the hardwood but I thing it’s worth it.
One more thing; the hardwood is not so expensive anymore and for a big project like a deck it is better to invest a little bit more and you get a great looking deck that will last a long time.
Comparative Wood Species
Tiger Wood, Southern Yellow Pine, Western Red Cedar
Density at 12% MC 860 kg/m3 590 kg/m3 410 kg/m3
Strength psi 16,620 14,200 7,500
Stiffness 1000 psi 2,230 1,880 1,110
Hardness Janka lbs 2,160 750 350
