Q A couple of years ago I built a deck, using pressure-treated wood. The wood was still wet, and as it dried out in the sun, it warped and twisted badly despite the screws I used to fasten it. How could I have prevented this?
A Cheaper grades of pressure-treated wood are sometimes sold while still soaking wet with preservatives and water. If this wood is exposed to outdoor weather in this condition, rapid shrinkage accompanied by warping and cracking is almost inevitable.
The best bet, especially where appearance is important – such as deck floors and rails – is to shop for better grades of wood. Lumberyards are sometimes a better source of premium wood than home centers. It is usually possible to tell if wood has been reasonably well dried just by lifting a piece of it. If the wood is very heavy or feels damp to the touch, it is not well dried. A grade stamp on the wood indicating it has been properly dried under controlled conditions is a better indicator. Top-quality pressure-treated wood is kiln-dried after treatment (indicated in the grade stamp by the initials KDAT). Premium treated wood, generally southern yellow pine, also has fewer knots. For more information on interpreting grade stamps, go to www.southernpine.com and click on pressure-treated wood at the left of the page. Enter Grade Stamp in the search space of the treated-wood page.
Premium treated wood costs more than standard grades but is well worth the extra cost.
New decks should also be given a protective coating of sealer or other finish to reduce moisture penetration and other weather effects. Wolman (www.wolman.com), a leading manufacturer of deck finishes and cleaners, recommends that the wood be cleaned first to remove mill glaze (a burnished surface) and surface impurities.
Anyone working with treated wood (sawing, sanding or drilling) should wear a dust mask, goggles, gloves and other protective clothing to reduce exposure to the preservatives in the wood. Wash thoroughly after working with the wood.
Q We recently had part of our hardwood floor, near the entrance to our home, removed and replaced with tile. The workers used sealer that left the tile glossy, and it looks great. But the workers also tracked the sealer onto the poly-finished wood floor, leaving boot prints. What can we do, short of sanding and refinishing the floor?
A Judging from my mail, a number of contractors are doing very sloppy work and are getting away with it. I recommend that you do not attempt to clean up these marks with anything other than a wood-floor cleaner. You should advise the contractor of the damage and leave it to him or her to set it straight. If you use solvents or abrasives on the damage, the contractor can rightly claim that you caused or compounded the damage.
Incidents like this illustrate why it is so important to make sure a contractor is covered by liability insurance before starting a project. Properly insured contractors will show their insurance papers or have their insurance agent mail a copy.
Questions and comments should be e-mailed to Gene Austin at doit861@aol.com. Send regular mail for Gene Austin to 1730 Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422.
