Hello!
We are planning to build a deck of about 50-60 square meters. I intend to use pressure-treated lumber for the framework for long durability.
However, I've been wondering if it's completely crazy to use untreated wood for the deck floor. The reason is that I want the environment to be as toxin-free as possible.
I had a deck with a pressure-treated wood floor that looked quite shabby after 30 years. Even after 20 years (I didn't own the house then), it likely showed significant wear. Mostly due to use, of course.
I thought I'd ask if anyone has any experience with decks in untreated wood, and not in larch. I've heard rumors that you need to sand the floor approximately every five years and oil it properly every year. Is it true that this is sufficient?
Another rumor I've heard is that pressure-treated wood is so widely accepted that no one questions using untreated wood, thus benefitting sales.
To be honest, the constructions I've made with untreated wood that do not have ground contact have only acquired a gray patina, but show no signs of rot. These constructions are things like saw horses, nothing that is subject to daily wear and tear, of course.
Best regards, Fredrik
Grateful for comments.
Best regards, Fredrik
We are planning to build a deck of about 50-60 square meters. I intend to use pressure-treated lumber for the framework for long durability.
However, I've been wondering if it's completely crazy to use untreated wood for the deck floor. The reason is that I want the environment to be as toxin-free as possible.
I had a deck with a pressure-treated wood floor that looked quite shabby after 30 years. Even after 20 years (I didn't own the house then), it likely showed significant wear. Mostly due to use, of course.
I thought I'd ask if anyone has any experience with decks in untreated wood, and not in larch. I've heard rumors that you need to sand the floor approximately every five years and oil it properly every year. Is it true that this is sufficient?
Another rumor I've heard is that pressure-treated wood is so widely accepted that no one questions using untreated wood, thus benefitting sales.
To be honest, the constructions I've made with untreated wood that do not have ground contact have only acquired a gray patina, but show no signs of rot. These constructions are things like saw horses, nothing that is subject to daily wear and tear, of course.
Best regards, Fredrik
Grateful for comments.
Best regards, Fredrik
I know that there is someone on the forum who built their deck with untreated wood and then painted it with roslagsmahogny a couple of years ago, so there should be some experience. Can't remember who though, will try to figure it out.
If it fits well and you handle it in some way, it should go well.
The boardwalks and bird towers at nature center Tåkern are made of completely untreated pine (with a few exceptionally long larch pillars) and have held up well since 2009. A large portion of the approximately 70,000-100,000 annual visitors at the nature center walk on them. The environment is quite humid. It's probably a good idea to build so you can replace individual boards.
http://www.lansstyrelsen.se/Ostergo...r/friluftsliv/naturum-takern/Pages/index.aspx
Oak is even better. A supporting structure of oak with pine boards on top will last a long time.
http://www.lansstyrelsen.se/Ostergo...r/friluftsliv/naturum-takern/Pages/index.aspx
Oak is even better. A supporting structure of oak with pine boards on top will last a long time.
I built my patio with non-pressure treated wood. Properly constructed, it can last for many years. I didn't want chemicals on my bare feet. Moreover, today's treated wood is only treated in the outermost few millimeters.
The wood usually starts to rot from the end grain. This is as unprotected in treated as in untreated wood since it doesn't penetrate deeply.
I made the cover boards out of untreated pine. Inside the frame, I had a 2"x2" all around to provide support. There were some unventilated gaps that were sensitive, but you can improve on that. Lay the boards so they curve upwards, allowing the water to run off.
It has lasted for over ten years, then it was soon time to replace parts of the decking.
Next time, I would definitely build again with untreated wood, for ecological as well as aesthetic reasons. Treated wood is really ugly.
The wood usually starts to rot from the end grain. This is as unprotected in treated as in untreated wood since it doesn't penetrate deeply.
I made the cover boards out of untreated pine. Inside the frame, I had a 2"x2" all around to provide support. There were some unventilated gaps that were sensitive, but you can improve on that. Lay the boards so they curve upwards, allowing the water to run off.
It has lasted for over ten years, then it was soon time to replace parts of the decking.
Next time, I would definitely build again with untreated wood, for ecological as well as aesthetic reasons. Treated wood is really ugly.
Member
· Västra Götaland
· 1 849 posts
Pressure-treated is treated all the way (unless it's resin-rich heartwood which is just as good). The reason it wears out at the end grain first is that the stress is worst there.Thomas_Blekinge said:
But that's a minor detail. Works well with untreated, but doesn't last as long. How long it lasts depends on wood quality, where and how the deck is built, treatment, etc.
Our terrace is built entirely with 220x45, non-impregnated (even the floor). The frame is completely dry and fine, but the floorboards, which were replaced by the previous owner perhaps 4-5 years ago, need to be replaced this year because someone might step through them. In one spot, I could push a finger through.
It will be impregnated all the way when replacing.
It will be impregnated all the way when replacing.
Autodidactic: The pressure-treated wood I've seen in recent years is only treated a few millimeters from the surface. Then I saw it straight through. Has that changed recently?
Interesting about Lärk.
Online it often states that it is resistant to rot, but I have somewhat opposite experiences:
When we bought the previous house we lived in, the seller's brother declared that the fence was indeed made of Lärk and would last for a long time. It didn't take long before the rot damage had progressed so much that the fence had to take its "final rest" at the recycling center.
Where we live now (my childhood home), the fence is only painted with Cuprinol from time to time and was set up in the late 1950s. Only now is it starting to give way in some places.
The difference is that the latter wood was selected by a nearby farmer for my father specifically to become... a fence.
Online it often states that it is resistant to rot, but I have somewhat opposite experiences:
When we bought the previous house we lived in, the seller's brother declared that the fence was indeed made of Lärk and would last for a long time. It didn't take long before the rot damage had progressed so much that the fence had to take its "final rest" at the recycling center.
Where we live now (my childhood home), the fence is only painted with Cuprinol from time to time and was set up in the late 1950s. Only now is it starting to give way in some places.
The difference is that the latter wood was selected by a nearby farmer for my father specifically to become... a fence.
One should not rely on treated wood.
The most important thing is that the deck is constructed properly so that standing water and debris accumulation do not occur. Then, the wood should be chosen with care and knowledge.
After that, the impregnation doesn't matter much anymore.
The most important thing is that the deck is constructed properly so that standing water and debris accumulation do not occur. Then, the wood should be chosen with care and knowledge.
After that, the impregnation doesn't matter much anymore.
Member
· Västra Götaland
· 1 849 posts
If you buy controlled (stamped) wood, it is pressure-treated all the way through. However, if you have resinous heartwood, it cannot be pressure treated. It will not appear green/brown in the core but is just as durable. I have never in over 30 years come across stamped wood that was poorly treated. However, some have been of poor quality (knotty, fast-growing, cracked, etc.).Thomas_Blekinge said:
The fact that different types of wood are resistant to rot varies. When there was/is old pine that was resin-rich, it lasted a long time, which you often see in old windows. The same applies to larch, depending on where it comes from and how it has grown, so what is called Siberian larch can be good or bad just like our pine. There are many miles and different growing zones where the larch grows in Russia. Pressure-treated wood can be justified even environmentally with today's impregnation agents. Having to replace wood because it rot prematurely and then obtaining new wood is worse for the environment considering the entire production chain of harvesting/processing/transport. So today, the environmentally best option is to ensure the wood lasts as long as possible (excluding the impact of various after-treatment methods we do ourselves as it becomes too complex then). Therefore, solely avoiding pressure-treated wood because it has been treated from an environmental perspective feels wrong if you do not consider the whole picture.