Care for wood deck

redgreen

Member
I just bought a new trailer and wondered what everyone recommended to care for the wood? I've read linseed oil, used motor oil, and some people say leave it be.
Thanks in advance!
 
I also let mine set one season and then soaked it with used motor oil. i also tarp mine in the winter.
 
First things first - did you buy treated or untreated wood? If treated, you need to let the wood dry well before applying a sealer. You don't HAVE to, but the wood will last much longer if you reapply the sealer every year or two.

If you got untreated, then you need to seal it ASAP, before rain hits it. Personally, I like any kind of used petroleum oil, including the synthetic stuff - anything except vegetable-based oils. 2nd on my list would be a good deck sealer, but for the use, I think used oil works best.

Also, I use untreated, as we don't have "them" kinda bugs up here, and the oil works great at treating the less-costly untreated wood. For initial application, I apply until it won't accept any more, then every month or two will apply a 2nd and 3rd coat, again, until it won't accept any more. Then will be good for a year or two.
 
How do you get the edges, end grain, and undersides of the boards? When you slop oil on the deck it only kinda gets on the top, and dribbles down the sides some, but doesn't get underneath.
 
I remove the boards when treating. Process is the same whether you use oil, water sealer, stain or paint. Any part of the wood that you leave exposed will only shorten its useful life.

The reason I prefer oil is, it is an excellent moisture barrier. It also helps stop any bugs from getting into the wood. And, woodpeckers hate the stuff! Water sealers work well but are spendy. Look nicer than oil though. Stain works well, but again there's the price. And don't even waste your time with paint. Many people think that paint "waterproofs" wood. That couldn't be further from the truth. Paint will retard the passing of moisture, but moisture still gets through. So, I simply prefer oil. Also used to use it a lot on beds of fire ants back in Texas, although that's frowned upon now.

The newer trailers I've seen, the boards are screwed in place. Some, like a PJ trailer I had recently, the screws were on top. Others are screwed in from the underside, which is better. My old lowboy tandem axle, which is 25+ years old, didn't even come with chains for securing it to the tow vehicle. Was no such thing as electric brakes back then on such a trailer, and I once towed a TO-30 with rotary mower from Dallas almost to Houston using my little Dodge Ram-50 (built by Mitsubishi) truck - with 2.0L engine, no less! Anyway, this older trailer, you have to pry up under the middle of each board and, preferably with a helper, add 2-by's under the board, then pry up a little high and add another 2-by, until one end of the board comes out from under the steel lips that hold them in place. No screws used anywhere. The original treated wood decking lasted about 10 years, and I never treated it at all. Then the trailer sat for another 10 years never getting used, so the boards rotted away. So up here, I chose to use untreated lumber and apply oil, and simply could not be happier!! I was afraid the wood would be slippery, but I don't use it enough to have to walk on it shortly after applying the oil. By the time I need it again, the oil has soaked in good and is doing its job, and the deck traction is good in any weather.....EXCEPT ice! :wink:

Oh, when I replaced the boards some years back, I used lumber that I had laying around. Only 1 or 2 full-length 16' boards, so had to splice some together from underneath. Also had some 2x6 of that "plastic" lumber that I got from an auction. So about 1/3 of the decking is that stuff, which needs no treatment. Kinda interested to see which lasts longer, but I'm betting it'll be the oil-treated wood - provided I keep maintaining it. As for the plastic lumber, went to price it recently and 1) can't hardly find the 2-by thickness anymore (is special order around here) and GEEZ, has it ever gotten crazy expensive!!

...By the way, once the boards are full-treated on all sides (2 or 3 times to saturation that first year), will no longer be a need to treat anything but the top side. Can get the edges with a small paint or foam brush, but bottom isn't exposed to the elements, and that's what does the most harm. So it's only during that first treating season that the boards will need to be removed 2 or 3 times for treatment. Otherwise, just recoat from topside.
 
I leave gap between boards and soaked with oil from top and works great and over time it soaks all they way around.I have 2 hay racks that
are over 40 years old and have been soaked with oil and still good. On the PJ trailer I soak it and make sure that screw holes are full of
oil.
 

This subject is on the monthly schedule. Do a search and you will get a few hundred sure fire methods.
 
The new trailer is sure to be decked with untreated wood so it will need something. If it were me I would use a deck finish.
 
Last time I went shopping for a trailer (about 2-3 years ago), the decking on PJ trailers used treated. I thought that was standard, across the board.
 
(quoted from post at 01:13:31 08/04/17) Last time I went shopping for a trailer (about 2-3 years ago), the decking on PJ trailers used treated. I thought that was standard, across the board.

Yes. Pressure treated lumber is standard across the board.
 
Looks like a good product but expensive to use at $35.00 a gallon and a trailer like mine would take over a gallon and you would have to
redo it every so many years. Crankcase drains cost nothing.
 
(quoted from post at 23:04:21 08/04/17) Looks like a good product but expensive to use at $35.00 a gallon and a trailer like mine would take over a gallon and you would have to
redo it every so many years. Crankcase drains cost nothing.

I use it because I haul some nice old cars on the trailer in addition to the tractor and I don't want that oil mess all over my clothes when I have to lay on the trailer to hook up the cars.

I find oil is like creosote, it gets everywhere.
 
(quoted from post at 08:54:26 08/05/17)
(quoted from post at 23:04:21 08/04/17) Looks like a good product but expensive to use at $35.00 a gallon and a trailer like mine would take over a gallon and you would have to
redo it every so many years. Crankcase drains cost nothing.

I use it because I haul some nice old cars on the trailer in addition to the tractor and I don't want that oil mess all over my clothes when I have to lay on the trailer to hook up the cars.

I find oil is like creosote, it gets everywhere.

steel, if you look at some of the many many threads on this topic you will see that most users of drain oil tell how if you apply it on a hot sunny day that it will soak in nearly completely very quickly. There will be no oil mess unless you apply coats until it doesn't soak in. It is probably not likely that many guys are looking to to get oil mess all over their clothes.
 

Maybe I have used too much in the past, it always seems to me that there is still some that gets left that can mess up clothes.

I wasn't sure if the others putting oil on hauled only equipment. I know people who only haul loaders, tractors and things that you can hook on to higher and never have to get on your back or knees. Those guys could have oil dripping off of the trailer and they wouldn't care.
 
If done right you won't get it on your clothes . I use oil from gas engines and let it set and crud in oil goes to bottom of container.Trailer looks like a trailer deck that's been done with Thomson(?) sealer.
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Go to your 'Dollar' store and buy a cheap mop; works better than 'slopping.' :)
 

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