Choosing a type of wood for your fence may depend on many factors, such as visual appeal. This wood is great for adding a ...

Rot resistance is mandatory. My original gate was made from juniper (Juniperus virginiana), also known as Eastern red cedar, an abundant and native tree whose heartwood is rot-resistant.

It has a 1,010 Janka hardness rating and is highly resistant to rot but not insects. Therefore, it's a great wood slab for a DIY indoor table where ants, beetles, and termites aren't present.

Yet another approach is to use rot-resistant wood. If you are using finished lumber, you may be restricted to choosing among red cedar, redwood, white oak, perhaps cypress.

Rot-resistant wood (pressure treated, cedar, redwood, etc.) will help, but these materials are still subject to nature's microbes. Setting the post in concrete is better, but it still leaves some ...

In the process, the wood is charred and oiled. The resulting material is resistant to pests, rot, and fire. It has an alligator skin texture and a deeply black color.

For finished lumber, most people these days opt for pressure-treated, or PT, wood. True, PT lumber should not rot for decades, but there are hazards associated with its use.

You’ll still need to use rot-resistant wood for posts, joists and beams. Many of the composite woods are natural looking, often brushed to give you that natural wood-grain finish.