Originally Posted by
Master Splinter
Treated pine. Easy to work with and it won't rot out.
Available in a range of sizes - work out what the critical dimensions are and if you can fudge them a little so that you don't have to do any fiddly cutting (I'm assuming you may not have a shed full of tools!) - you may be able to use timber that is a bit wider or a bit thicker than the original.
Wear a dust mask when cutting/routing or whatever, its not the sort of stuff you want in your lungs.
Paint it all over to match existing colours before you put it up (paint the bits in contact with the ground especially, as well as the backs of everything).
Use fasteners that are suitable for treated pine.
Measure three times, cut once, then swear and cut just a little more off and then discover you've cut too much off and figure out how to hide the gap!