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Rant: A job in Phoenix made me stop using pine for outdoor trim.
The sun warped a whole porch's worth of it in under a year, so what's your go-to budget wood for hot climates?
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amy_anderson6mo ago
My uncle in Tucson tried cypress for his shed trim and it split badly after two summers. The problem is it dries out way too fast in that dry heat. For a budget pick, I've had way better luck with good old pressure-treated pine if you seal it right. You need a solid oil-based stain, not that thin stuff from a can, and put it on thick. It's not fancy but it lasts.
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susanb346mo ago
Actually used to think cypress was the go-to for hot climates. Then my neighbor's fence did the same thing, split all over after a dry year. Now I'm with you on the pressure-treated pine, it just needs that heavy sealer to lock in the moisture.
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wadew515mo ago
Yeah that dry heat is brutal on cypress. I saw the same thing happen to a buddy's porch railing in Phoenix after just one summer. The wood just can't hold onto the moisture it needs. Pressure treated pine is definitely the smarter move for the money. But I'd add one thing on the sealer part. You gotta let the pine dry out a good couple weeks first before you put anything on it. If you seal it too soon the moisture gets trapped and it'll rot from the inside out.
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