Premier Fence And Deck Construction Company Serving Portland, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Tualatin And West Linn.

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