For decades, cedar split rail fence wood has been the preferred choice for wooden building material for fencing construction, outdoor furniture, wooden walkways and decks. Treated whitewoods (fir, pine and spruce) are weather resistant, depending on the type of treatment used for weather resistant timber. Wood that is pressure-impregnated on the sawmill is more effective in rejecting the effect of wind and rain than it is wood that has been manually treated with a use of wood protection.
Initial additional cost of cedar is well offset by its length of service friendliness. Even less expensive treated wood species will do well for 10 to 15 years, a well-developed cedar split rail fence can last for decades. Water repellent treatments are effective only on the part of the wood fence pole that is above the ground. Water repellent treatments will not protect fence posts installed in marshy or poorly drained soil.
Replacement of damaged treated fence posts is more expensive in both time and labor than the cost originally installing cedar fence posts. Mushrooms and termites are natural enemies of wood fences. Cedar wood is steeped in a natural ingredient that effectively rejects termite or wood fungus attacks. Treated wood cannot withstand termites or fungi as effectively as cedar.