Deck boards: cedar vs composite, my backyard says cedar wins by a mile

I built two planters side by side last summer in Austin, one from 2x6 cedar and one from that Trex composite scrap I had left over. After 14 months of brutal sun and two hail storms, the cedar only needs a sand and oil, but the composite is already chalking and fading weird. The cedar cost me $120 total versus $180 for the composite, and it actually looks better. Anyone else find natural wood holds up better than the fancy stuff once you factor in repairs?

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nancy3914d ago

Gotta disagree with you on this one. Cedar looks great for a couple years but it's basically a full time job where I live. I replaced a cedar deck after 3 years cause it kept splintering and cupping, plus every spring I was out there scrubbing mold off it. The composite has been zero maintenance for 5 years now, sure it fades a bit but so does everything in this sun. Different strokes for different climates I guess, but I'll take the boring boards that don't split over pretty wood I gotta babysit.