Home Repair and Paint Guide

... Higher numbers mean greater protection against fungi and insect attack. Matching the rating to intended use will give adequate performance while helping to reduce overall costs. Pressure treated lumber is tagged with the treating solution and concentration that was used during manufacturing. The three common ratings are as follows: Above ground (.15 or .25). Used for the floor, railing, and other topside trim.  Ground-contact (.40). Posts, beams, or other items that will come into contact with the ground, but will never be buried.  Below-grade (.60). Posts and support items that are buried below grade.  When buying cedar or redwood lumber, select boards cut from heartwood. Heartwood contains the natural oils that give these woods their resistance to decay and insect attack. Sapwood (cut from the outer edges of the tree) lacks these oils. If you’re going to use redwood, look for lumber labeled “heartwood common”. This contains more heartwood than “construction common”. Buy wood that’s dry. Lumber that’s still saturated with the water can be twice as heavy as dry wood. It will also shrink when drying. This can cause your deck to have uneven gaps between the boards, and could also shear the screws or loosen nails that hold mounting brackets to joists. If the wood you purchased is wet, let it dry for a few weeks in an area that’s covered and away from direct sunlight. Drying too quickly can lead to warping. Tall decks should be built using 6×6 posts instead of 4×4. They will look better and are more solid. Make sure the posts are straight with no twists, bows, or deep cracks. Remember that the posts have to support the weight of the deck plus people and furniture ...

... The plastic is the binder, while the wood fiber provides strength. The problem is that there are a lot of different grades of plastic and wood fibers. Also, the ratio of plastic to wood has an impact on strength and longevity. This is an area where you have to do a lot of research and not try to skimp on price. If you start out with something that’s not up to the task, you will be very sorry several years after the project is complete. Some of the past failures of composite decking materials have been traced back to water being present in the wood fibers. This prevents the plastic binder from being completely absorbed into the wood. The best materials contain wood fibers that are extremely dry. This allows the plastic binder to be completely absorbed. But even with the best materials and manufacturing processes available, you still might not be happy with your deck. Many of the composite materials end up with exposed wood fibers at the surface. These will eventually discolor and probably rot away as they get wet. One of the products currently on the market uses recycled plastics and high quality extremely dry wood fibers. The decking is completely covered on the outside surfaces with plastic that has an embossed wood grain texture. This coating prevents the exposed wood fiber problem and the decking should last longer. Regardless of what the ads say, there is still maintenance that has to be performed. Your deck has to be cleaned periodically to remove dirt and mildew. Be sure to use the cleaner recommended by the manufacturer. Trees surrounding your home can cause mildew problems. Some products can be easily dented and will incur damage from dropped objects. You should test for this before making a purchase ...