Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Terbs on 16 March 2016, 14:54:45

Title: Timber question
Post by: Terbs on 16 March 2016, 14:54:45
If you buy treated timber, how far into the wood does the treatment penetrate.
I have bought Wickes 4x4 fence posts, gravel boards, arris rails and featheredge boards. They have to be cut down, so have exposed edges. Will the weather get in where timber has been cut. In the case of the posts, is it best to put cut end in the ground or the non cut end. Same with feather edge, cut end against the gravel board, or the other way up.
TIA  :y
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: RossPhim on 16 March 2016, 15:20:04
Anything that you cut will need treated again!
Are you planning to stain / colour etc once finished?
If so then use whatever you plan to cover the cut ends!
HTH
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: Terbs on 16 March 2016, 15:30:46
Hadn't planned on colour.....yet. Was just going to leave it natural :y
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: EMD on 16 March 2016, 15:31:06
I can recommend Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment terbert , used it before and it really penetrates the wood unlike the ones that you have to keep re painting every year  :y
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: amba on 16 March 2016, 15:36:03
If you cut the posts get some creosote in a metal bucket and stand the post,cut end down into it for day or so allowing the stuff to be drawn into the wood.

Old fashion creosote is far better and will protect it for many years even below ground level however most modern cut timbers now arent well treated anyway.Wear gloves with proper creosote though,and it does stink 
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: redelitev6 on 16 March 2016, 17:35:40
If you cut the posts get some creosote in a metal bucket and stand the post,cut end down into it for day or so allowing the stuff to be drawn into the wood.

Old fashion creosote is far better and will protect it for many years even below ground level however most modern cut timbers now arent well treated anyway.Wear gloves with proper creosote though,and it does stink
Creosote is good stuff but as rare as hens teeth these days , the dreaded health and safety issues come into play  :(
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: Terbs on 16 March 2016, 18:16:18
This is probably a silly question....but I have some oil here from my oil changes....would that soak into the posts :y
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: r1 on 16 March 2016, 18:27:52
about 12 years ago I helped but a fence up and the guy insisted in wrapping the post end that was in the ground in bin liners to stop the soil/water rotting the posts don't know if it does any good but the fence is still standing.
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: BazaJT on 16 March 2016, 19:27:25
You could use your old engine oil.I did many years ago and it worked very well.However nowadays as with creosote I imagine health and safety issues would come into play.
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: biggriffin on 16 March 2016, 21:01:33
If you buy treated timber, how far into the wood does the treatment penetrate.
I have bought Wickes  :y fence posts, gravel boards, arris rails and featheredge boards. They have to be cut down, so have exposed edges. Will the weather get in where timber has been cut. In the case of the posts, is it best to put cut end in the ground or the non cut end. Same with feather edge, cut end against the gravel board, or the other way up.
TIA  :y

Concrete post's only way to go. :y
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: baggedestate on 16 March 2016, 21:56:50
i work in a timber yard and once its been cut its needs treating again. im pretty sure places like wickes etc should sell stuff to retreat it
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: Terbs on 16 March 2016, 23:51:44
Thanks for all the advice and tips, chaps.
I shall be integrating your ideas into my fence construction. As regards H & S....up theirs ;D ;D
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: Mr Skrunts on 17 March 2016, 01:49:47
I bought a shed a few years ago, nipped in to ask them to ply wood the floor before delivery.  As I arrived I saw they dipped each shed panel in a very watery dip in a tank/tray they had made.  They dipped it straight in and out then left it to drip dry above the tray.

So if thats how they treat sheds then I would assume the fence panels and posts are done the same. (So that the wood does'nt absorb too much liquid)

Also many years ago a joiner that made some fencing for us (over 80') and soaked the posts overnight in some barrels he brought, not sure what was in the mix but I am sure some of the posts are still staning and they were done in the early 80's (fencing did'nt last due to not being retreated)

My current neighber installed fencing all round her garden just before I moved in around june 2009 and the posts are allready starting to fail, one has allready broke, admitted these are 6' tall feance posts and panels, our garden they were only 3' tall.


Preparation, take time , do the job thoroughly.  :y
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: Bigron on 17 March 2016, 06:21:47
Isn't there a process whereby preservative is forced into the wood under pressure so that it penetrates more deeply into the wood? It isn't my area of expertise, but I do seem to recall hearing about that treatment.

Ron.
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: STEMO on 17 March 2016, 07:31:27
Isn't there a process whereby preservative is forced into the wood under pressure so that it penetrates more deeply into the wood? It isn't my area of expertise, but I do seem to recall hearing about that treatment.

Ron.
Tanalised timber, lots of fence panel suppliers claim their products have been pressure treated.....whether they have or not...
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: Phil on 17 March 2016, 07:46:37
Isn't there a process whereby preservative is forced into the wood under pressure so that it penetrates more deeply into the wood? It isn't my area of expertise, but I do seem to recall hearing about that treatment.

Ron.
Tanalised timber, lots of fence panel suppliers claim their products have been pressure treated.....whether they have or not...

Tanalith C is the preservative and contains (or least it used to) arsenic and generally has a greenish hue, Tanalised isn't the treatment its the stuff they use

Depth of impregnation depends on, amongst other things, the process - single or double vacuum treated - most joinery grade timber, if needed treating, is vac vac treated, same sort of stuff but dries to a very light brown hue, expensive 3 day process if done to the letter (in, treat, correct dry times), however I used to drop stuff off at the old treatment plant in Barking before 8am on the way into London and pick it up before 4pm on the way home, still dripping wet in some cases.

Closer the grain of the timber the less the impregnation.

As most 'cheap' timber is generally a fast grown (south facing) redwood the treatment impregnates quite easily and quickly, when you get to North face 5ths and sawn falling it has to be vac vac treated to be effective
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: kev2b4 on 17 March 2016, 09:20:27
i use 50/50 genuine creosote and old engine oil (preferably diesel as i like the colour)
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: Terbs on 17 March 2016, 10:01:14
We have a timber yard 3 miles away. My friend worked there, and he used to fork lift a pallet of timber into this unit (imagine a petrol tanker body) then seal the end doors and set it working. Evidently it was supposed to force the treatment into the timber. They leave it in for quite a while.
That's all I know about it. ;)
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: Phil on 17 March 2016, 12:02:00
We have a timber yard 3 miles away. My friend worked there, and he used to fork lift a pallet of timber into this unit (imagine a petrol tanker body) then seal the end doors and set it working. Evidently it was supposed to force the treatment into the timber. They leave it in for quite a while.
That's all I know about it. ;)

That's the vacuum treatment, either single or double vacuum
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: baggers on 17 March 2016, 19:52:41
i use 50/50 genuine creosote and old engine oil (preferably diesel as i like the colour)

 :y   :y

Same here, beats all the other stuff out there.
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: baggers on 17 March 2016, 19:56:07
If you buy treated timber, how far into the wood does the treatment penetrate.
I have bought Wickes  :y fence posts, gravel boards, arris rails and featheredge boards. They have to be cut down, so have exposed edges. Will the weather get in where timber has been cut. In the case of the posts, is it best to put cut end in the ground or the non cut end. Same with feather edge, cut end against the gravel board, or the other way up.
TIA  :y

Concrete post's only way to go. :y

And they are not as good as they used to be, maybe made in china  ;D  ;D
You find a lot of the old concrete post are still standing but the new stuff is always breaking up.

More expensive but better off with the galvanised post sections.
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: minifreek on 17 March 2016, 20:16:46
They don't use arsenic in the tanalising process anymore due to too many animals/people dying of poisoning LOL

The vacuum tank is called an autoclave unit, and its the only way to penetrate softwood....

If you can afford them, get hardwood posts. They wont need any preservative for many years....


In answer to your first question, yes you will need to use some sort of sealent/preservative on the cut ends, but Id also use post toppers too, to help the rain to runoff....
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: Phil on 18 March 2016, 08:33:22
.......The vacuum tank is called an autoclave unit...

.....If you can afford them, get hardwood posts...

Isn't an autoclave unit only when there is a heat differential requirement for curing or steam injection, so as the preservative isn't heated technically its not an autoclave, the wood leaves the treatment tank dripping wet, so its just a vacuum pressure vessel

And no you don't want to restrict yourself to hardwood, Douglas Fir is commonly used in fencing as its very strong and a softwood, Balsa is a hard wood, obvious which one you want.

Western red cedar is a softwood but contains a natural fungicide and that's why it can be used externally with no treatment at all for many many years - cedar shingles on roof being one main use

What you actually want on a cost/ availability basis is a close grain slow grown redwood which has been pressure treated.


If you can afford fence posts made out of hardwood like Iroko (which is commonly used in window and door cills), you will be loaded enough to have a metal fence  ;D
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: tigers_gonads on 18 March 2016, 12:51:42
Cut the timber to length and then stand the fresh cuts in a bucket of dirty 10/40 semi synth thinned out with a little white spirit or turpentine  :y
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: EMD on 18 March 2016, 15:33:46
The Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment i recommended is just like the old creosote , it even smells like it . You can visibly see the stuff soaking into the wood . I use to use old engine oil but the cats kept slipping off the fence  :D
Title: Re: Timber question
Post by: tigers_gonads on 18 March 2016, 16:24:03
The Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment i recommended is just like the old creosote , it even smells like it . You can visibly see the stuff soaking into the wood . I use to use old engine oil but the cats kept slipping off the fence  :D



The idea is to coat the fence in said mixture  ::)
NOT THE CAT  :D :D :D