The majority of wooden decks you see are built out of two types of wood, usually chosen based on whether you want to stain or paint the boards when it is finished.
CEDAR WOODEN DECKS
Cedar is a popular choice for Calgary homeowners, with its light natural colouration and rich grain patterns. Because of its light colour and high absorbency, people choose cedar when they want to stain a wood deck to their desired shade – whether that’s transparent, semi-solid, or solid stain. This allows the grain and natural beauty to show through, while still offering protection from weather and insect damage.
PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD DECKS
Pressure-treated wood is a material made of SPF (spruce, pine, fir) that has been put through a high-pressure process to strengthen it. As it affects the wood and the way it looks, it is much more difficult to stain and often does not get the same results. To boost wood deck protection when building with SPF materials, most people cover it with paint or wood deck sealer to lock out moisture.
Of course, you can choose other woods if you like, but they will be more expensive and harder to get.