Are Cedar Fences Good

​When it comes to residential fencing in Texas, cedar is by far the most popular material in use. And if you want complete privacy, wood is still the most cost-effective option. A vinyl fence is a great option but vinyl fencing is very expensive, it is nearly twice as expensive as a cedar wood fence. Fences not only provide privacy if wanted but they can also define property lines, keep children and animals in while keeping strangers out. Wood is not the best security fence on the market. If your property allows for a chain link fence this would be the best fence for security measures and they’re reasonably priced compared to a wood fence. Cedar fences can be built for various uses and style preferences. Homeowners might choose from a shadowbox fence leaving some space between pickets, a side by side fence, a board on board fence, a horizontal fence, and a ranch rail or country fence, and a split rail fence. Cedar fence pickets and boards can be purchased pre-stained but staining is not necessarily needed for a cedar fence. Staining will keep the fence from graying over time and it will protect the fence and give it the best chance of lasting a very long time. Cedar fences generally last for 20-30 years provided it’s not destroyed by animals, weather and other such factors. Western Red Cedar or WRC has been the proven and tested long lasting standard for wood fencing for a long time. During the Covid pandemic WRC was in short supply and a new cedar was introduced into the market as a reduced cost alternative. Japanese cedar or CRC which is grown in Japan and China is a slightly less expensive alternative that has not been put to the test of time. It is wood and it is cedar, which is naturally resistant to rot, decay and insects. But customers and fencing contractors will not know for a long time if this is a better or worse alternative to WRC. If WRC is not available, CRC is probably going to be your best option. If you have the option and funds to pay for WRC it’s going to be the best bet given the track record of WRC. For some cost savings customers will often opt to use cedar pickets, cap, and trim, while using pressure treated fence boards for runners and the rot board. This is a viable means to save some money while still constructing a strong and long lasting fence. You always want to use cedar pickets, cap, and trim. If you build a fence using treated pickets you will soon understand why we recommend against this. Pressure treated fence pickets will shrink, cup, warp and other such movements which tend to make for an unsightly fence. Cedar on the other hand is a stable and strong wood that you can build a side by side fence and achieve better than what is considered a semi private fence. Cedar is a stable wood, it’s strong but light putting less weight on the structure, it’s naturally resistant, and can’t be beat when it comes to aesthetics.