Cedar Fencing: Cedar Pickets and Rails for Privacy and Picket Fences

Cedar heartwood contains natural oils that resist decay and insects, so it does not need chemical treatment to last above ground. It is lighter than pine, it stays flatter as it dries, and it has a warm color that treated pine does not.

QC Fence Contractors builds cedar fences in the same layouts as any other wood fence. The usual build is cedar pickets on treated pine or steel posts, because the post is in the ground and the ground is where wood fails.

• Horizontal fences, where warped boards show immediately and straight lumber matters most.
• Fences close to a patio or pool deck that are seen up close every day.
• Front yard picket fences.
• Cap and trim details on a dog ear privacy fence.

Left alone, cedar weathers from reddish brown to silver gray. Some owners like that and some do not. Keeping the original color takes a finish applied by a painter or by you, since we do not stain or seal fences.

Cedar is softer than pine and dents more easily. It also holds up best where it can dry out. Pickets that sit in mulch or stay in deep shade will not last as long as pickets with air around them, whatever the species.