Expert: Richard Taylor, AIA - 7/6/2004

Question
I am planning on having a deck built.  I live on Long Island.  I am undecided about composite (not Trex!) or Alaskan Yellow Cedar.  Of course, the composite contractors say the the AYC is just like any other cedar and the knots will fall out and it will show every scratch and mark.  Everything I have researched about AYC supports it as an excellent decking material requiring little or no maintenance.   I don't know where to get an honest, unbiases answer.
I hope you can help me.  Thank you for the opportunity to ask you this question.  

Answer
Judy:

AYC is considered the hardest known Cedar in the world; it's quite unlike the softer Southern and Western Cedars that are in wide use.

Your research is correct - it's an excellent decking material, extremely hard (for Cedar) and suffering from very little shrinkage.  It's a furniture-grade wood and like all Cedars, is excellent for outdoor use.

Sure, it can lose knots, but so can any wood.  Since you're going to be digging deep in the pocketbook for this material, be VERY picky about the individual pieces used for your deck.  Choose boards with no or very few knots.  If you can, specify "select" which means defect-free.  You'll really pay top dollar for this, but quality is always less expensive in the long run!

You should insist on the authority to reject any boards on site that don't meet your standards of quality.

I'm curious about your reasons for choosing AYC; is it the color/grain?  If it's the durability, you have many other species to choose from including some Southern Hemisphere plantation-grown hardwoods that are rock-hard and practically indestructible (Brazilian Walnut, for example).

Hope this helps!

Richard Taylor, AIA
Richard Taylor Architects, LLC
www.rtastudio.com