BirdOasis wrote:

What wood is best for winter weather? Less likely to crack, keep in
mind it will have a 44 watt heating element to keep the wood and the
water warm even in freezing temperatures.

Will the heat darken the wood?

What would I use to protect the wood from the water without harming the
birds?

Is this even possible?

John Patrick
www.birdoasis.com


What about using Ipe ? It doesn't rot and will gray after sun exposure,
but it will probably stand up to the elements. If it doesn't, then New
Jersey's boardwalk is on borrowed time...

http://www.floorings.com/decking/ipe/features.shtml

I've read that the boardwalk has been repaired using Ipe over the last
decade or so, but I'm not sure if they ever replaced the entire
boardwalk with Ipe, as that page points out. Several years ago, an
injunction was granted to block the city from using Ipe - due to
environmental concerns that the Brazilian rainforest is being depleted
too quickly.

--
Brad Curfman
http://www.curfman.net