cedar decking

[herriott67]

i am planning to do a curved deck made out of cedar and i hope to use one length of cedar to go right around the sides and front of the deck but i dont know if i can get timber that long as i dont really do much timber buying can someone tell me what the lengths go up to

 

[twothumbs]

Dont want to put the dampers on your ideas but I would have thought Ceder is a bit soft to walk on. It will mark and scuff easily. Good luck.

 

[munkypuzel]

I layed a small cedar deck in my garden in 2008, has stayed in amazing condition although I though it would not be too robust initially..

The lengths I worked with were only about 4m as far as I can remember.

 

[chippymart]

Cedar wouldn't be my choice either. Far too soft. Sorry.

 

[cambournepete]

So what untreated wood would you use then?

 

[Carlow52]

accoya seems to be the in thing these days: google for it

 

[chippymart]

There are plenty of exotics out there that you could use instead of Cedar. Don't get me wrong, you can use Cedar but other options are Balau,which i have used and also Ipe( aka Pau Lope,Ironwood) both good options.
Tigerwood is another option. Not as durable as Ipe but will be cheaper. Bamboo is another option. Been to Japan and it is used everywhere and looks beautiful.
+1 for Accoya aswell and also Oak could be used.
Hope that is useful to you.

 

[cambournepete]

But presumably most of those timbers are shipped from miles away - cedar is at least fairly local, and smells nice.

 

[Benchwayze]

Cedar smells nice, but its dust irritates me. The only species yet to do so.

It's as durable as you can get, but I would have thought too soft for underfoot. It also splinters easily as it ages, so sitting on the stuff, (even when clothed) is chancy.

My first school was a cedarwood building, and there were cedar benches outside, so I speak from experience. Also us kids found that we could leave our initials in the cladding with either end of blunt pencil!

It also burns like fury, once it starts. (My school was eventually burned to the ground in the 1980s) Along with my initials, scratched into the woodwork block!

 

[andersonec]

Whatever you use, I wouldn't leave it untreated, unless that is, you are going to use a timber which repels treatment, leave it untreated and in a few months it will look naff.

Andy