Trying to figure out the best economical wood to redeck my trailer. I've called all the local lumber yards and none of them have any oak or Douglas Fir. A couple do have hem-fir in pressure and non pressure options. This trailer hauls quite a bit of equipment and non running tractors that are drug on. Will I be ok using hem-fir and will it last awhile if I keep it oiled?
- Thread starter 71ford100
- Start date
jon f mn
Well-known Member
The best luck I've had is with standard pine untreated and soaked with oil after it seasons for a year. If you can't get oak or ash then there really is little advantage to more expensive lumber, it just costs more to replace. In my experience treated lumber iOS the quickest to fail and has an enormous amount of shrink which can lead to cracking and other problems.
Richard G.
Well-known Member
I missed that post about cottonwood. But I have sawed some cottonwood on my sawmill and find it to be very weak and soft even when dry.
Richard in NW SC
Richard in NW SC
rustyacres sd
Member
If you have a trailer manufacture somewhat close, check with them on getting some wood from them.
We have 3 manufactures nearby. We can even get apitong which is really hard.
We have 3 manufactures nearby. We can even get apitong which is really hard.
kcm.MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- NW Minnesota
You "should" be able to find a small sawmill in your area. That would be your cheapest route. Oftentimes, these sawmills will have wood that is already air-dry seasoned. Look in your phone book yellow pages under "sawmill", or do a web search for "sawmills in __________". Many manufacturers of small mills will have sections with listings for their customers around the country who you can contact about buying lumber. In Minnesota, the DNR even has a site listing many sawmills. Also, web searches will return results that include numerous sawmills that will be listed in the phone book. There's even an ad in our local sales paper (what was around before Craigslist). ...And that's another thought is to check your local Craigslist.
If you want smoother, look for a bandsaw sawmill. If you would like rougher lumber, look for a circular mill; however, many newer circular mills also cut quite smooth! You may have to call and ask what kind of mill they have, as it may not be listed in the phone book. Also, you may run across folks who use a chainsaw sawmill, which will be very rough lumber.
Rather than paying for treated lumber, I would go the untreated route and then soak with oil.
If you want smoother, look for a bandsaw sawmill. If you would like rougher lumber, look for a circular mill; however, many newer circular mills also cut quite smooth! You may have to call and ask what kind of mill they have, as it may not be listed in the phone book. Also, you may run across folks who use a chainsaw sawmill, which will be very rough lumber.
Rather than paying for treated lumber, I would go the untreated route and then soak with oil.
mjsnodgrass
Member
the pressure treated wood is hemlock. fir won't take the stain. the hem-fir they refer to is hemlock wood, with a few fir boards mixed in. I used rough cut green hemlock on a trailer one time. it lasted 20 years. I believe when wood is ran through a planer, it does something to it. look at all of the barns still standing built from rough cut wood.
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
If you use pressure treated pine you are not likely to ever need to replace the deck again especially if you keep it oiled. As far as oak you could use white oak but not red oak. Red oak rots very easily.
K Effective
Well-known Member
I've got one twenty-year-old hay wagon deck we did in sassafras, supposedly the poor-mans' oak. I fit that description, and the wood has held up well being oiled every couple of years, or so. Far better than a treated pine version we put together around the same time.
The last two I built using ash, the local sawmill guy rough cut them for me, he said the wood is nearly perfect, as it has air dried standing up, hard all the way through, thanks to the ash borers killing the bark layer. I had one wagon extended to 18 feet for just a little more room, works pretty well.
The last two I built using ash, the local sawmill guy rough cut them for me, he said the wood is nearly perfect, as it has air dried standing up, hard all the way through, thanks to the ash borers killing the bark layer. I had one wagon extended to 18 feet for just a little more room, works pretty well.
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
Jon, I agree, the treated pine is not good. The treatment is for insects only, not weather resistance.
The were a few sources for rough sawn retired utility poles. Hear those hold up well.
The were a few sources for rough sawn retired utility poles. Hear those hold up well.
Pressure treated in CA is garbage. It only lasts a few years. I used Doug Fir and fitted it, predrilled my holes, and painted with a two stage epoxy with a little grit in it (this was for a stock trailer). It was great for 20 years until it burned in the Nuns Fire 8 Oct. Burned real clean with that epoxy paint. Hardly any ash, if that matters.
old
Well-known Member
- Location
- Camdenton Missouri
My trailer has the pressure treated 2X6 boards on it and it sits out in the weather 24/7 and I HAVE ONLY HAD TO REPLACE A BOARD OR TWO IN THE 20 PLUS YEARS I HAVE HAD IT. The boards I had to replace where replace due to the fact they broke they did not rot
Texasmark1
Well-known Member
My 16x6 tandem 3250# axles (from memory), 700x15 8 ply bias tires was built in 1979 for me, just plain ole flat deck with an angle iron rail around it about 10" off the deck with fenders. It came with 2x10 painted pine. Somewhere along the way I got some soft spots and decided to redo it. Was easy as the rear of the deck was held in place with a welded piece of angle iron. With that off and the cross member bolts out it was a nobrainer to get the boards out.
In shopping for replacement boards I bought treated 2x6s as they were cheap and couldn't find any 2x10s treated......it WAS going to get treated lumber. Over the years I have mopped it with old crankcase oil a few, not many, times. The under carirage was replaced 15-20 years ago with a kit for about 25 bucks with shackles, bolts and nuts and all the piddly stuff that wears out when no zerks are built into the design. Didn't need replacing but I wanted to inspect it and if I were going to tear it apart to do that I might as well just replace it.
The trailer has spent it's life sitting out in the weather and I keep the tires shielded from direct sunlight. Tires are Shield Brand, bought for $40 ea, cash and carry, and have been on there for at least 15 years, maybe more. There are ZERO signs of any cracking on any of the tires and it is seldom used so there must have been a lot of plasticizers in the tire when built to keep the rubber soft. I never had a set of tires survive the way these have. I did add home-made ramps to it as I have hauled tractors on it. Biggest was a Ford 4600 and it handled it just fine.
You asked. That's my story.
In shopping for replacement boards I bought treated 2x6s as they were cheap and couldn't find any 2x10s treated......it WAS going to get treated lumber. Over the years I have mopped it with old crankcase oil a few, not many, times. The under carirage was replaced 15-20 years ago with a kit for about 25 bucks with shackles, bolts and nuts and all the piddly stuff that wears out when no zerks are built into the design. Didn't need replacing but I wanted to inspect it and if I were going to tear it apart to do that I might as well just replace it.
The trailer has spent it's life sitting out in the weather and I keep the tires shielded from direct sunlight. Tires are Shield Brand, bought for $40 ea, cash and carry, and have been on there for at least 15 years, maybe more. There are ZERO signs of any cracking on any of the tires and it is seldom used so there must have been a lot of plasticizers in the tire when built to keep the rubber soft. I never had a set of tires survive the way these have. I did add home-made ramps to it as I have hauled tractors on it. Biggest was a Ford 4600 and it handled it just fine.
You asked. That's my story.
Part Time Pete
Well-known Member
- Location
- Leatherstocking Region NY
I don't know if it's available in your neck of the woods, but Larch is very tough, and holds up to weather well
Pete
Pete
rustyfarmall
Well-known Member
Just go the lumber yard and get pressure treated lumber. That is what the new trailer manufacturers use.
MarkB_MI
Well-known Member
- Location
- Motown USA
I'd have to believe PT hemlock would be very good. As would PT southern yellow pine. Do not use red oak, it has poor rot resistance; white oak is preferred.
Brian G. NY
Well-known Member
I second that.....old timers used it on bridges as well.
The other name for larch is tamarack.
Cottonwood would be about my last choice. Very soft if you drag tractors on not going to last at all. Same here with pine, we run low boys and are always dragging on heavy equipment, We re floor with hickory, oak , or elm. Of course I have a wood-mizer mill and can cut what ever we need. Makes it easier. I guess our best luck comes from hickory that has been air dried for a year or so.
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
Speaking of treated wood, I bought eight 2x10's at Home Depot which was YellaWood brand. For what I needed I had to rip 1/2" off of them and discovered six out of the 8 boards where not treated all the way through. They had just wet the wood down the chemical to give it the color.
Paul from MI
Well-known Member
I did mine with rough sawn white oak 18 years ago. No treatment of any kind, still very hard and tough. I put it down green, then added a couple of strips after it cured. Wood mostly shrinks across the grain, not length wise, when it dries. Just allow for it when you build the floor and plan on slipping in a small piece or two. My floor is not bolted down, just held in place by welded plates on each end. 16' tandem axle trailer.
Crazy Horse
Well-known Member
Stephen ...... I'd be surprised if you found any wood that is preserved all the way through ...... unless it is the type of wood (Woolmanized is one brand name) that is used for wood basements, etc. But the regular preserved lumber at Home Depot etc wouldn't show the preservative (colored) all the way through the lumber thickness. If you did find some, one of the workers might have gone for a long lunch break. I suspect that after it is scored (with small slices in some kinds) it goes in and out of the preservative pretty quickly. It does seem to work though relatively well.
Andy Martin
Well-known Member
The pressure treated we get goes all the way through.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
We have Tamarack, witch I think is the same as Larch. I have some big trees and there are sawmills around, so that is what I'm planning on using.
MarkB_MI
Well-known Member
- Location
- Motown USA
Yes, I've run into that as well with some 4x4s. I learned that unless it's labeled for ground contact, most PT wood is very poorly treated.
So here on the west coast there are lots of small mills / portable bandsaws etc. Unfortunately most of the guys like milling Cedar which is too soft. They will do fir but make sure it isn't Balsam / Grand Fir. Hemlock is good if it isn't too knotty.
One of my neighbours has a portable mill, and a stationary full time set up. Lots of wood going through his operation. No shortage of lumber or spiecies.
I noticed his delivery trailers and trucks all had plywood decks. I asked him why he did that. He said he used lumber yard fir 2x8s which he treated with thinned out foundation paint - black tar stuff. Then screwed 5/8 fir T&G floor ply wood and painted that too. He had to paint in the warm weather. Then when the deck gets scraped up from loading and unloading he just replaces the deck every 5-7 years.
I've used that foundation paint on the 3/4" treated plywood floor of a manure spreader. It's holding up very well.
Good luck. Grant
One of my neighbours has a portable mill, and a stationary full time set up. Lots of wood going through his operation. No shortage of lumber or spiecies.
I noticed his delivery trailers and trucks all had plywood decks. I asked him why he did that. He said he used lumber yard fir 2x8s which he treated with thinned out foundation paint - black tar stuff. Then screwed 5/8 fir T&G floor ply wood and painted that too. He had to paint in the warm weather. Then when the deck gets scraped up from loading and unloading he just replaces the deck every 5-7 years.
I've used that foundation paint on the 3/4" treated plywood floor of a manure spreader. It's holding up very well.
Good luck. Grant
preacher man
Member
About 10 years ago I replaced the floor in my trailer with treated 2x12's. I just replaced it again this past spring with Oak. I went to the sawmill and bought fresh cut oak lumber. Took it home and stacked it with spacers between each board and weights on the top to keep it from warping. I let it set about 3 months until it had cured quite a bit before I put it on. I screwed it down with regular floor screws and so far it shows no signs of moving or warping at all. This trailer sets outside 100% of the time. This floor should last longer than I will ever need a trailer and was much cheaper than the junk they try to sell you at the lumber yards.
IHC pickups
Member
Apitong is the only way to refloor a trailer IMO. Not cheap but it will be the last floor you will ever buy
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