Cedar alternative for outdoor patio area

[Matthew Windholtz]

Hi all,

I'm hoping to leverage the communities knowleged on a project that I want to undertake. I'm in the middle of having a workshop/pool building put in on the propety. the building will have a 24x24' outdoor sitting area under a roof. As part of the ceiling, I want to put some cedar ridge beam and wrapping on the current posts. This would be decorative and non-load bearing wrapping around pressure treated lumber and along the roof area. I have included a picture of what I want to build and is my current inspiration.

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Question for the community: The picture I included is cedar. I was wondering what alternatives I should consider other than cedar. It is my understanding that unless I treat/stain the cedar reguarly, it will turn gray. I like the rich/orange color. I suspect there are some composite types that I could get that would not need this maintenance. So I'm all ears for suggestions.

Thanks,
Matt

[Tom Bain]

Personally, I would stick with the cedar if the cost isn’t a problem (STK is generally much more affordable than clear). If the cedar is protected from the elements as shown on the underside of the ceiling, it won’t grey that quickly.

[Bill Dufour]

Redwood is the standard outdoor wood here. your location? But the second growth stuff is not very rot resistant.
Bill D

[Steve Rozmiarek]

In my experience, any real wood will change color noticeably outside. Sometimes that is not a problem and can be desirable. Cedar treated with a good stain holds up pretty well. I built a cedar gazebo in 97, and treated it with penofin. It is silvering in the places where the weather hits it hardest, but still that orangish color where protected. We live in a high desert type of climate here, so probably not the hardest environment for it. It could be easily re-stained and brought back to cedar color right now with another coat of penofin, but they like it as is.

As a home builder, I get asked to do this pretty often. Cedar is still king if they don't mind a little bit of maintenance. If they want truly maintenance free, LP and DiamondKote make some pretty convincing siding products that look work well for wrapping faux beams. If you squint, and forget that you are a woodworker that is. Normal people never notice that they aren't true cedar. Ther Duo Blend colors are best in my opinion for matching wood.

https://images.diamondkotesiding.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/18151812/colorspage-400x400-canyon.jpg

[Tom M King]

I would think it would take a long time for WRC under a roof to turn. Here is a picture of a house I built in 1991 with WRC porch rafters. This picture was taken a few years ago after it was hit by a small tornado, and we had to reassemble part of it. The railings were mortised into the porch posts, so it all went right back together after having a forty foot section of the edge of the porch roof left hanging.

It's the only picture I could think of that shows WRC under an outside roof. These rafters never had anything put on them for a finish.

[Patrick Kane]

Protected cedar will take years/decades to gray, but you are going to want to treat it with something. Any of the transparent decking/siding oils will make the color pop and keep its tone through the years. Its sun and rain/snow that beat the color out of a board.

[Jamie Buxton]

OP, you mention composites. I'm taking that to mean materials which are not wood. If so, yes, there are plastic composite decking materials which are cedar-colored and wood textured. Wood workers will know the surface is not wood, but most everybody else will not give it a second thought. And you'll have a building which will not deteriorate in the weather like wood. I'm currently building cabinets for a house with an elaborate deck and pool house built from a cedar-like non-wood. I'll ask the builder for the product name.

[Bob Riefer]

One other consideration... the underside of that covered roof is going to be very hot. We had ours spray foamed before enclosing the underside... the builder thought we were crazy by insulating an open space like this... But I tell you what, for a couple hundred $$ it is very noticeably more comfortable on hot/sunny days.

For cladding the beams, I would think hardi-board might have an option. Around here, carpenter bees are very aggressive, so that would be my primary motivation in not using cedar.

[Bryan Hall]

Numerous outdoor woods will silver over time if left completely unfinished. That being said, cedar will do great in a covered area, I wouldn't worry about it much. I've built a ton of fences, decks, patio covers, and replaced soffits, all with cedar over the years. I'm not sure how "regular" you expect the maintenance to be but my fence needs a touch up every few years and my soffits and covered porch area that stays dry look like new after 5 years.

I've worked with enough composite to have decided I won't work with it anymore. Its heavy, doesn't hold its shape, fades and can't be color match replaced, lots of expansion/contraction along its length, needs dust collection to prevent colored microplastics from blowing everywhere when cutting. It's hugely popular here in the NW where it's wet a lot but even so, I still prefer wood.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I've worked with enough composite to have decided I won't work with it anymore. Its heavy, doesn't hold its shape, fades and can't be color match replaced, lots of expansion/contraction along its length, needs dust collection to prevent colored microplastics from blowing everywhere when cutting. It's hugely popular here in the NW where it's wet a lot but even so, I still prefer wood.

I agree with all of that, plus its hard to source reliably, you usually have to work in something that you didn't specify because it's the only thing available in a reasonable timeline, and its stupidly expensive.

[Jamie Buxton]

The composite I was mentioning is from Timbertech, their Azek line. It comes in 1" thick for decking, and also 1/2" thick for trim work. They sell a stepped drill which drills a clearance hole, and counterbores it to accept matching plugs. My builder friend says that there are many suppliers of material like this, so if color is a big issue you might look at other sources too.

For me, I love wood too much to want to put it outdoors. It is guaranteed to get beat up by the sun and rain, and will look bad in only a couple of years. You can forestall the deterioration by constant upkeep, recoating the surface every few years, but who actually does that? So I think these man made materials are a good thing.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

The composite I was mentioning is from Timbertech, their Azek line. It comes in 1" thick for decking, and also 1/2" thick for trim work. They sell a stepped drill which drills a clearance hole, and counterbores it to accept matching plugs. My builder friend says that there are many suppliers of material like this, so if color is a big issue you might look at other sources too.

For me, I love wood too much to want to put it outdoors. It is guaranteed to get beat up by the sun and rain, and will look bad in only a couple of years. You can forestall the deterioration by constant upkeep, recoating the surface every few years, but who actually does that? So I think these man made materials are a good thing.


This is a deck we built with Timbertech. Of manufactured decking lot, Timbertech is the one we try to get first but they are not competing well with other options, like Fortress. The pergola is cedar.

https://static.wixstatic.com/media/9c8997_0a2ae6e48a2c4093824bd250f1f27556~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_635,h_380,fp_0.50_0.50,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,e nc_auto/9c8997_0a2ae6e48a2c4093824bd250f1f27556~mv2.jpg

[Jack Frederick]

My first thought was, regardless of what you put up, how long before it wants to be enclosed and conditioned? Bob’s suggestion of insulating now gives all kinds of good options for the future.

[Bill Dufour]

Since we have no idea where you live. Plastic is out since forest fires or volcanic eruptions will melt it. Salt spray will rust many types of hidden fasteners. Tornadoes,Siroccos, and hurricanes may cause lifting. That does not look like it is designed for snow loads in parts of California , like 200 pounds/square foot in some areas. Is the foundation designed for permafrost heave?
For some reason cast iron or concrete houses never caught on.
Bill D