Treated Pine vs Hardwood decking timber - pros and cons?

Hi all,

We are embarking on our deck in the next few months (as most of you probably know already) and now we have a debarkle about which timber to use. I am stuck on the idea of using hardwood (Jarrah or Merbau), but my other half is not convinced and is talking about using treated pine instead.

I have issues with pine including its longevity (durability), toxicity with young children and pets and also the general look of the timber (I've read in here that it doesn't take staining too well).

Could I ask some of you to put forward some arguements both for and against each type of timber (well, treated pine vs hardwood) so we have have a solid ground for making our decision? Let me know of your experiences (or what you may have heard) with using softwood and hardwood for outside decking.

It would be greatly appreciated!

The deck will have a roof over it, but will be subjected to strong westerly sun in the afternoons.

Many thanks,

Zoe.


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