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How should I store pressure treated wood? stratford1 05-06-2008
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Posted by stratford1 on May 6, 2008, 11:12 am
I'm currently in the process of rebuilding a small deck and have about
20 PT boards waiting to be put on. The way the project has been going
(unfortunately) it could be a while before I get them on. My question
is...what's the best way to store these boards? They're currently
stacked outside - sitting on some 2x4s to keep them off the ground.
I'm a little confused because I've read a few things that suggest they
should be covered to avoid exposure to the elements...yet, these are
for a porch which will be continually exposed to the elements...and
isnt it good for the wood to "breathe" and dry out for some time?

One other question about these boards in particular...when I
originally bought them they were COMPLETELY wet and very soft. So much
so, that when I drive a screw the screw wants to go completely through
the board. Any suggestions on what to do so that these boards will
fairly quickly dry enough to be usable? Do I need to wait to add them
to the deck? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Posted by dpb on May 6, 2008, 1:27 pm
stratford1 wrote:
> I'm currently in the process of rebuilding a small deck and have about
> 20 PT boards waiting to be put on. The way the project has been going
> (unfortunately) it could be a while before I get them on. My question
> is...what's the best way to store these boards? They're currently
> stacked outside - sitting on some 2x4s to keep them off the ground.
> I'm a little confused because I've read a few things that suggest they
> should be covered to avoid exposure to the elements...yet, these are
> for a porch which will be continually exposed to the elements...and
> isnt it good for the wood to "breathe" and dry out for some time?
>
> One other question about these boards in particular...when I
> originally bought them they were COMPLETELY wet and very soft. So much
> so, that when I drive a screw the screw wants to go completely through
> the board. Any suggestions on what to do so that these boards will
> fairly quickly dry enough to be usable? Do I need to wait to add them
> to the deck? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Stack out of direct sun w/ _lots_ of weight to try to at least minimize
movement (but it probably won't help a whole lot, it may some). There's
no magic way to speed up the drying process w/o rigging up a homemade
kiln-like arrangement but they'll lose the bulk water relatively quickly
in warm weather.

--

Posted by JoeSpareBedroom on May 6, 2008, 1:28 pm
> I'm currently in the process of rebuilding a small deck and have about
> 20 PT boards waiting to be put on. The way the project has been going
> (unfortunately) it could be a while before I get them on. My question
> is...what's the best way to store these boards? They're currently
> stacked outside - sitting on some 2x4s to keep them off the ground.
> I'm a little confused because I've read a few things that suggest they
> should be covered to avoid exposure to the elements...yet, these are
> for a porch which will be continually exposed to the elements...and
> isnt it good for the wood to "breathe" and dry out for some time?
>
> One other question about these boards in particular...when I
> originally bought them they were COMPLETELY wet and very soft. So much
> so, that when I drive a screw the screw wants to go completely through
> the board. Any suggestions on what to do so that these boards will
> fairly quickly dry enough to be usable? Do I need to wait to add them
> to the deck? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!


I can't answer the question about them being really wet, but I've always
stored PT wood in ways that provided maximum air circulation. Rather than
stacked, can you put some thin wood shims between the layers to let some air
in?

And, is it safe to say that you have no small kids who will be crawling
around on this deck, or adults walking on it in bare feet?



Posted by pipedown on May 6, 2008, 2:11 pm

> I'm currently in the process of rebuilding a small deck and have about
> 20 PT boards waiting to be put on. The way the project has been going
> (unfortunately) it could be a while before I get them on. My question
> is...what's the best way to store these boards? They're currently
> stacked outside - sitting on some 2x4s to keep them off the ground.
> I'm a little confused because I've read a few things that suggest they
> should be covered to avoid exposure to the elements...yet, these are
> for a porch which will be continually exposed to the elements...and
> isnt it good for the wood to "breathe" and dry out for some time?
>
> One other question about these boards in particular...when I
> originally bought them they were COMPLETELY wet and very soft. So much
> so, that when I drive a screw the screw wants to go completely through
> the board. Any suggestions on what to do so that these boards will
> fairly quickly dry enough to be usable? Do I need to wait to add them
> to the deck? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

PT lumber is shipped wet because they expect you to use it in contact with
the ground. If you are not doing that, maybe you should be using a
different kind of lumber. In any case, it has a great tendency to warp if
you let it dry too completely so for storage if only a few weeks, just stack
them directly on the ground and cover with a tarp. Store it the same way
you see it stacked in the store. Once they are built into the porch,
warpage will be restricted by the nails and rest of the structure. Don't
dry it too much first or you will be sorry.

IMO, PT should be used for the under structure of the porch only. Use
something else for the decking. Paint any surfaces exposed to people and
you won't have to worry about the chemicals inside. Toxic sawdust tied in a
plastic shopping bag and directly into the trash.



Posted by stratford1 on May 6, 2008, 3:33 pm
Ok, thanks everyone for the advice. Following up on what some of you
have said... This is an entryway deck so although we wont be on it
barefoot (at least originally), should we be concerned about tracking
in any chemicals from the boards? Our plan is to eventually stain the
deck...will this sufficiently seal in the chemicals? We dont have any
kids now, but could eventually - and overall I'd rather not have toxic
stuff exposed regardless. Also how should we address the toxic nature
of these boards with the philosophy that the deck should be left
untreated (unstained) for a year to let it breathe? Is there a good
way to deal with toxic boards for a year? Sorry for all the questions
on this...I'm a little caught by suprise on this - I was under the
assumption originally that PT decking was sort of the standard. Its
starting to sound like more hassle than its worth. Ideas?

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