Read a study that says pressure treated pine lasts longer than cedar in wet ground

Found a report from the University of Georgia's forestry department that tested fence posts in the ground for 15 years. In their wet soil test site, the pressure treated southern pine posts had almost no rot, while a lot of the untreated cedar ones were shot. I always thought cedar was the go-to for lasting forever, but maybe not in every spot. Has anyone else seen this play out on a job in a really damp area?

2 comments

2 Comments

hall.charles3d ago

That Georgia study gets cited a lot, but it's testing fence posts, which is a specific use. I've pulled up old cedar posts from swampy ground here in Maine that were still solid after 30 years. The key is it has to be heartwood, not the sapwood. A lot of cedar sold now has too much sapwood mixed in, and that stuff rots fast. Good, dense heartwood cedar resists wet rot in a way treated pine just doesn't, in my experience.

davidwright2d ago

Man, you're spot on about the sapwood. I bought some "premium" cedar boards a few years back for a planter box. Half of it was that soft, spongy sapwood. The thing fell apart in two seasons, looked like termites had a buffet. Meanwhile, the few pieces of solid heartwood in there are still fine. Felt like a real chump for not checking each board.