Surface treat wood in basement?

[Adkit]

If I have made a simple bench in a basement or a storage shelf for pellets from untreated studs, what should I do with it to prevent it from getting damaged in a relatively dry and relatively cool basement? Can it manage without any treatment at all even if it stands on concrete, or should I like varnish them, or is there some sort of "wood protection" that keeps moisture out?

//Linus

 

[En apelsin]

You don't need to treat it unless it's damp or cold in the basement. It will more easily become ugly if you don't treat it. Stains and dirt will set in and are much harder to remove on untreated wood. If you want to treat it, you can, for example, paint it with furniture paint or varnish it.

 

[Adkit]

You don't need to treat it if it's not damp or cold in the basement. It will be more prone to damage if you don't treat it. Stains and dirt will stick and are much harder to remove from untreated wood. If you want to treat it, you could, for example, paint it with carpentry paint or varnish it.

Ok. If we now pretend that it IS damp and cold in the basement, would carpentry paint or varnish still be a good idea?

 

[Thomas_Blekinge]

Sure, it's a good idea. They used to have wooden interiors in potato cellars without any problems, but it might not last 50 years. Just place a piece of syllpapp under the wood that's on the floor.

 

[En apelsin]

Ok. If we pretend that it IS damp and cold in the basement, would carpentry paint or varnish still be a good idea?

Yes, it holds up reasonably well as long as it's not very wet, even if you don't do anything at all. And varnish or carpentry paint is fine if you want. I agree about the sill paper. What you can also do to extend the durability if the floor is a little damp is to treat the ends of the legs with some wood oil. Then they won't rot as easily.