I was pricing some 5/4×6 cedar for decking.
I was surprised at the large range of prices.
Every body quoted there prices differently. So I have broken them down to lineal ft and total for the deck.
Lowes $1.00 $680 + $59 delivery
Pro-Build (United Building Center) – this is a large group of yards mostly in the upper plains states but also a few ajoining.
$1.80 $1224 free delivery
Mccray – local company – 8 yards in the area.
They don’t handle 5/4 so quoted 2×6
$2.15 $1,462 would probably wave the delivery charge.
KC Deck Supply – handles all kinds of decking materials
$1.75 $1190 $45 delivery charge. Said that they handle more 2×6 and could give me a slightlyu better price on that.
Schullte Lumber – Large local lumber and millworks..
$1.41, $959. Did not get a deliver cost from them.
I was surprised at the large range of prices even after discounting the one 2×6 pricing.
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid – Shoe
Replies
What kind of cedar are you talking about? Around here Lowe's carries a poor grade of fast-growth red cedar. Most real yards carry VGR Cedar or Port Orford yellow cedar. Some mom-and-pop places can get knotty white cedar.
I have not seen the cedar from the other suppliers. But I have gotten a couple of 2x6 cedar from UBC for a deck repair job a couple of years ago and it looked much the same as what Lowes has..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
I guess what I'm saying is, are you comparing apples to apples? Besides UBC & Lowes?
Makes a difference if CVG, 'select tight knot', etc..View Image
At least you can get it. Only two yards locally stock it (Real Yards, the boxes don't have it) and only in 2x. Nobody had 5/4 in stock. The 2X is heckish expensive- comparable to composite.Basically around here if you want to build a deck you have two choices: some variant of composite or PT.
I don't think that CVG, except in siding is available in this area.
.
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
The vast majority of cedar I see sold for deckign around here, regardless of who is selling it, is Western Red Cedar, select tight knot unless otherwise specified. I don't live too far away from Bill, so I'm guessing my selection is pretty similar to his.
And Port Orford? That's a wildly exotic creature around here.
That's funny, the only place I know of here in Maine to get red cedar with knots is at Lowes. I can buy VGR cedar or PO cedar at any real lumberyard. What I'd really like is a good source for Eastern White cedar which grows locally but it all seems to go to the shingle mill. We end up using one of the tropical hardwoods most of the time but I really want to find a better/greener product.
I ended up using the $1.41 stuff. I was pretty clean. Not a single edge of wane of about 45 pieces.The BTer that built the frame for me and helped me load the decking onto the deck said that was the cleanest that he had seen..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
Bill,
Check the grade on that stuff; most 5/4 cedar here is 'patio' grade, which is not as good as #1&2, but not quite as gnarly as #3.
You can also get 'patio' grade 2x stock, but not for structural framing; for that you gotta buy 'stud' (#1&2).
What these goniffs call 'clear' is actually more like 'select, but it is what it is and only available in a few sizes except by special order.
Here's a few representative prices from two of my local yards:
This is all red western cedar.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
bill
I think others have pretty well covered some of why the prices vary..
But here's my take on using cedar..
I used to have a red cedar deck in front of the old house.. It was striaght grain no knots old growth cedar.
a decade after it was put up I was tearing it down because there were so many patch panels on it from decay that I'd pull up boards with my fingers.. the nails would remain and the punky boards would simply pull through the nails.
Most new red cedar is no longer old growth. Instead it's plantation grown and doesn't have nearly the same decay resistance of old..
Now my circumstances could be differant from yours so what happened here may not apply.