Pine or Redwood Deck?

We have a 10' by 10' area on the side of our house and are considering putting a deck there. The area is surrounded on 2 sides by walls. The other 2 sides border our screened in concrete patio, and our lawn. The deck area will have a cover on it, and will not be battered by wind (As the 2 walls create a wind block). Winters here are mild, and summer temps are on average 99-100 degrees. Should I use pine or redwood? I looked at Lowes, and found that Pine is 1/2 the price of redwood, and seems to be pretty durable. I am not concerned about the look of the wood, but the durability. Will Pine or Redwood work better?

Pine or Redwood Deck?
If I were you, I would stay away from pine decking. As far as redwood goes, most of the new redwood has huge growth rings and does not stand up to bugs and decay like the old growth wood. If you were going to put down a redwood deck, I would use 2x6 S4S grade B or better..quarter sawn. Conheart has too many knots! I would spend some bucks here. Carefully select the lumber. The best would be to find recycled old growth redwood 2 x 6s. I have some 50 year old stuff with super dense growth rings and it will last for 50 more years!
Reply:The deck outback of my home is redwood and we have had it for almost 20 years and it still looks almost brand new. It is a bit more pricey, but much more durable. It helps though to apply an all weather clear coat to the deck to protect it from sun, rain and wind damage.
Reply:redwood will last longer
Reply:Your best bet is using pressure treated Douglas Fir for it all. Never use Pine outdoors. You can watch it rot . If you want the look of Redwood then do all of your framing with Doug Fir and cover with Redwood. Use Square-Drive deck screws. When using a screw gun Sq. drive screws do not strip out like Philips screws do . You can bury Doug Fir posts in concrete footers without hurting them. It's well worth the extra money to build it this way considering that if it was built of Pine things would start going bad in just a couple of years and within 10 years probably need rebuilding. There's No money-savings that way. Good Luck. Also, take your Lowes bid and go to Home Depot and they will beat the price, then take back to Lowes and they'll lower it again. It's your money. Let them fight for it.
Reply:i would check into the new decking materials at lowes that are almost plastic as they hold up way better than traditional materials.
Reply:Check the link below for a nice booklet how to build a RW deck. From the California Redwood Association.





I recommend redwood because it is a much more durable wood for outdoor projects such as decks. You could use cedar, if available. Redwood contains a natural decay and insect resistant chemical in the heartwood - tannins (tannic acid) - that gives it the rich, red color. Try to pick all red redwood for your appearance boards on the decking, handrails, seats, steps, etc. The yellow sapwood contains little, if any, tannins, which is not resistant to rot, fungus or wood eating bugs. Take your time to choose nice looking wood - there is a lot of mixed heart %26amp; sapwood.





You can use pressure-treated pine or fir for the joists, beams and posts underneath your deck and stain them to match the color of your redwood where they are visible. You might want to apply a transparent or semi-transparent stain to the redwood to give it a uniform color and a measure of weather protection. Don't paint your deck unless you enjoy repainting every few years.





Pay attention to the recommended types of fasteners for corrosion resistance and compatibility with any pressure treatments. For the redwood, use hot-dipped galvanized nails and deck screws (square hole are reliable) or stainless steel. Do not use electrogalvanized fasteners - the zinc coating is virtually worthless for exterior fasteners. For the pressure treated lumber, check with your lumber manufacturer for fastener recommendations.





I also included a link to Simpson Strong Tie for their deck construction booklet.





Good luck.
Reply:Redwood would hold up years longer than Pine.
Reply:spend the money on redwood. the fir will be susceptible to wood eating insects and unless you can ensure moisture control will rot substantially quicker.
Reply:Properly treated is the key (see above post) but Redwood is the more durable wood. It resists mold and dry rot much better than pine. It sounds like that will be your biggest issue given the location of your deck. I would go with the redwood.
Reply:Either one should work well provided that the wood is properly treated and protected.





Redwood is harder and may last longer; and I expect it would be more expensive.
Reply:Save the Redwoods!
Reply:Red wood, I use it myself.


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