Building a deck
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FTE Legend
Joined: Aug 2004
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From: North Central Rural Sask.
Building a deck
Hey guys, I am rebuilding my deck at my place, and I was curious, should a guy use treated lumber, or just use regular lumber with an outside sealant, or stain of some sort? I asked around at work, and there was differing opinions, so I thought I would ask the smartest guys in the world 
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Michigan
The only non- treated wood you would want to use outside is cedar.If you used pine, fir or spruce,there would be many areas that you could not apply the sealer to,and even with sealer it would not last.The thing about treated lumber is that it is pressure treated,meaning that the chemicals are forced down deep into the wood.So stick with treated lumber,unless you have a lot of money,then I would use cedar because it looks nicer.Another thing to remember is to make sure the earth ring on your deck boards arch upward in the middle.That way if the boards start to cup,the edges are forced downward instead of causing a trip edge.
New User
Joined: Jan 2008
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Treated all the way.
I'll see if I can find my Deck related thread and post it here.
EDIT:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=300747
I'll see if I can find my Deck related thread and post it here.
EDIT:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...d.php?t=300747
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: MI
I mostly agree with King Triton, either use cedar or the new composite decking material, looks like wood but it is plastic. It may be pricey but you don't have to seal it like conventional wood every two years, ande comes in several colors.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: Langhorne, PA
Use the plastic stuff!! It is expensive but looks great and I think it is tougher than PT wood. I hope someone else will help me out here, I have seen the stuff but am not sure of the details.
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Michigan
I love the way there are ads by google at the bottom of this page,its like a mind reader,you mention something like recycled plastic decking and it gives you links automatically.As far as my experience with it,I built a deck around a pool for a guy that ended up being about 100ft long,the pool was 32x12 and he wanted it to go all the way around.In this application because it was always wet,it was a good idea to use plastic.But I am a real wood kind of guy,and the plastic just made it look cheap as far as I was concerned.
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Posting Guru
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From: Cincinnati Ohio
I would use treated wood, although the composite stuff (wood plastic) is real nice but is expensive and is harder to work with, well I can only talk for working with it in the winter because it cracks really easy when cold.
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Posting Legend
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The new treated wood is bad stuff, it eats metal bad. You have to use Stainless screws and hot dipped zinc plated bolts. Even then the fasteners will probably fail. Apparently the new treated wood was not tested before it was mandated by the EPA. I wonder how many decks will start collapsing in a few years?
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 194
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From: White Lake
building a deck
Cedar - all the way.
also, check out the deck clip method.
no exposed screws or nails on the deck. this makes a very
nice surface. don't have to worry about little kids & dogs getting
sick from the copper arsenic in the pt wood either.
also, check out the deck clip method.
no exposed screws or nails on the deck. this makes a very
nice surface. don't have to worry about little kids & dogs getting
sick from the copper arsenic in the pt wood either.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
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From: Oregon
I was picking up some stuff from the wholesale fastener place the other day and they had pallets full of galvanized screws going out, rated for the new pressure treated lumber - Look for the ACQ stamp. ACQ is the new safer stuff.
CCA is the old Arsenic filled lumber. I was reading where a 12' 2x6 of CCA has enough poison to kill 250 people if they were to ingest it. It would take one heck of a deck party.
CCA is the old Arsenic filled lumber. I was reading where a 12' 2x6 of CCA has enough poison to kill 250 people if they were to ingest it. It would take one heck of a deck party.
Posting Legend
Joined: Sep 2001
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Originally Posted by glafond
don't have to worry about little kids & dogs getting
sick from the copper arsenic in the pt wood either.
sick from the copper arsenic in the pt wood either.
http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuild...ges/h00127.asp
It looks as if Borate treated (DOT) wood would be a better choice.
The old CCA wasn't that bad either. The EPA just didn't like it.
http://www.caes.state.ct.us/PlantSci.../arsenic99.htm
http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/pages/g00028.asp
Last edited by Torque1st; Apr 11, 2005 at 07:11 AM.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Drummonds, TN USA
Creosote is what they used to use on docks and sea-plane landings.
I remember the way the old landing used to smell at Renton Field in Washington state -
Like some kind of chemical.
Does Borate have any smell to it after it's applied?
I remember the way the old landing used to smell at Renton Field in Washington state -
Like some kind of chemical.
Does Borate have any smell to it after it's applied?
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2004
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Treated wood is fine but you must use precautions when working with it. Wear a good quality dust mask when you make your cuts . The chemicals used in treated woods are known to be cancer causing. The pressure treated wood has small little slits in the wood where chemical has been forced under pressure right into the wood and you can get a 40 year anti-rot guarantee with this product. I live on Vancouver Island and our wet climate will rot untreated spruce in under 2 years. I rebuilt my deck 10 years ago by dropping it down and pouring reinforced concrete on top. I rebuilt my stairs with pressure treated lumber and they are still in excellent shape.