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#1
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Need help warping of pressure treated wood fence
OK, I just built a fence out of pressure treated wood (the crap from
Home Depot which is not redried) a couple of weeks ago. It's an infill type fence using the rough hewn dog-eared slats cut to about 5-6 feet long held in only at the top and bottom, no middle cross beam. Anyway, within several days huge gaps developed between the slats, presumably as they dried. I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is warping and twisting, which has also happened. My questions to you guys with pressure treated wood experience: 1. Can I avoid shrinkage, warping, and twisting if I use special pressure treated + redried wood and immediately stain it, or does redried wood also shrink and warp to some extent? 2. Will I avoid shrinkage, warping, and twisting if I use the non re-dried wood from HD and immediately seal it (even though it's wet) with sealers approved for immediate sealing, like Wolman's "raincoat?", or will it still shrink etc? Thanks in advance |
#2
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Need help warping of pressure treated wood fence
homer2654 wrote:
OK, I just built a fence out of pressure treated wood (the crap from Home Depot which is not redried) a couple of weeks ago. It's an infill type fence using the rough hewn dog-eared slats cut to about 5-6 feet long held in only at the top and bottom, no middle cross beam. Anyway, within several days huge gaps developed between the slats, presumably as they dried. I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is warping and twisting, which has also happened. My questions to you guys with pressure treated wood experience: 1. Can I avoid shrinkage, warping, and twisting if I use special pressure treated + redried wood and immediately stain it, or does redried wood also shrink and warp to some extent? 2. Will I avoid shrinkage, warping, and twisting if I use the non re-dried wood from HD and immediately seal it (even though it's wet) with sealers approved for immediate sealing, like Wolman's "raincoat?", or will it still shrink etc? Thanks in advance You have discovered why I will NOT install treated pickets on a fence. It will warp and then I will get complaints. Then, even if there were no complaints, someone will ask the owners who built their fence and they will give out my company name. I made an attempt to use treated pickets on a fence with fair results. We ran four horizontal rails, then carefully screwed each picket. The results were the best you could get with pressure treated fencing. Of course, the extra cost for the added rails, plus the extra care (and time) to screw rather than nail caused the final product to cost more than a cedar picket fence would have cost. -- Robert Allison Rimshot, Inc. Georgetown, TX |
#3
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Need help warping of pressure treated wood fence
Robert, So if you don't use treated pickets, what do you use? Cedar? I
guess cedar doesn't warp as much or at all? I didn't have the benefit of being able to use four horizontal rails, which would probably help as you've said. Here's the fence I built (I copied someone's idea): http://www.educ.sfu.ca/kegan/sketchbig.jpeg I suppose I could use horizontal rails on the backside of the fence that faces my neighbor to align the bowing planks, or maybe I should scrap them and go buy a bunch of cedar planks? Anyway thanks for the help and any more comments you guys might have. You have discovered why I will NOT install treated pickets on a fence. It will warp and then I will get complaints. Then, even if there were no complaints, someone will ask the owners who built their fence and they will give out my company name. I made an attempt to use treated pickets on a fence with fair results. We ran four horizontal rails, then carefully screwed each picket. The results were the best you could get with pressure treated fencing. Of course, the extra cost for the added rails, plus the extra care (and time) to screw rather than nail caused the final product to cost more than a cedar picket fence would have cost. -- Robert Allison Rimshot, Inc. Georgetown, TX |
#4
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Need help warping of pressure treated wood fence
homer2654 wrote:
Robert, So if you don't use treated pickets, what do you use? Cedar? I guess cedar doesn't warp as much or at all? I didn't have the benefit of being able to use four horizontal rails, which would probably help as you've said. Here's the fence I built (I copied someone's idea): http://www.educ.sfu.ca/kegan/sketchbig.jpeg I suppose I could use horizontal rails on the backside of the fence that faces my neighbor to align the bowing planks, or maybe I should scrap them and go buy a bunch of cedar planks? Anyway thanks for the help and any more comments you guys might have. With a fence like that, you can use anything you want for the pickets. The most durable and stable would be cedar or redwood. You could also use cypress, but it is more prone to warping than the others. I can tell you that you will probably never be happy with treated pickets unless you upsize to 5/4 or 2x material. Even then you are going to have to lay them out and cull the warped ones. You have discovered why I will NOT install treated pickets on a fence. It will warp and then I will get complaints. Then, even if there were no complaints, someone will ask the owners who built their fence and they will give out my company name. I made an attempt to use treated pickets on a fence with fair results. We ran four horizontal rails, then carefully screwed each picket. The results were the best you could get with pressure treated fencing. Of course, the extra cost for the added rails, plus the extra care (and time) to screw rather than nail caused the final product to cost more than a cedar picket fence would have cost. -- Robert Allison Rimshot, Inc. Georgetown, TX -- Robert Allison Rimshot, Inc. Georgetown, TX |
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