WOOD ROT - FUNGI CAUSE ROT IN WOOD. NOT MOLD & MILDEW TYPE FUNGI THAT TURN BREAD BLUE AND DECK BOARDS BLACK. WOOD ROT IS CAUSED BY A PRIMITIVE PLANT, DECAY-TYPE FUNGI THAT APPEARS AS MUSHROOMS. MUSHROOM IS FRUITING BODY OF PLANT THAT PRODUCES SPORES (MICROSCOPIC SEEDS) THAT GO EVERYWHERE. THE ROOT SYSTEM OF THE PLANT LITERALLY DISSOLVES THE LIGNIN THAT HOLDS THE WOOD FIBER TOGETHER.

- WOOD DECAY FUNGI REQUIRE 

1. MOISTURE 

2. OXYGEN

3. MODERATE TEMPERATURE (40 - 105 DEGREES F.)

4. WOOD.

NOTE: BURIED PORTION OF WOOD POST DECAYS SLOWER THAN PORTION AT GRADE BECAUSE OXYGEN SUPPLY IS POOR.  FUNGI HIGHLY MOISTURE-SENSITIVE. ACTIVE ONLY WHEN WOOD CONTAINS NO MORE THAN 20%-30% WATER BY WEIGHT. LIVING WOOD IS MORE THAN 30% WATER AND WON’T ROT. DEAD HEARTWOOD AT CORE OF TREE WILL ROT IF FUNGI CAN GET TO IT. "AIR-DRY" WOOD IS LESS THAN 20% WATER & WON’T ROT.

NOTE: BEST DEFENSE AGAINST DECAY IS BUILDING PRACTICES THAT PROTECT WOOD FROM MOISTURE.

• 1. WIDE EAVES, 2. PROPER FLASHING, 3. PAINT, SEALERS, CAULKING.

- PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD HAS CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES PRESSURE DRIVEN DEEP INTO WOOD WHERE THEY BOND WITH WOOD FIBER. THESE PRESERVATIVES STRONGLY RESIST "LEACHING" AND WILL LAST UP TO 40 YEARS.

- CORRECT LEVEL OF TREATMENT MUST BE SELECTED DEPENDING ON THE APPLICATION. EVERY BOARD AND TIMBER SHOULD HAVE TREATMENT TAG OR STAMP STATING CONCENTRATION OF PRESERVATIVE IN POUNDS / CUBIC FOOT.  

• .25 - SUITABLE FOR ABOVE GROUND. 

• .40 - SUITABLE FOR GROUND CONTACT. MOST SUPPLIERS STOCK ONLY .40 AND IT’S USED BOTH ABOVE AND BELOW GROUND.

• .60 - SUITABLE FOR WOOD FOUNDATIONS (USUALLY AVAILABLE BY SPECIAL ORDER).

- COMPLETE TREATMENT IS ESSENTIAL FOR P.T. WOOD TO PERFORM PROPERLY. STANDARD IS, AT LEAST 85% OF SAPWOOD IN LUMBER 5" THICK OR LESS SHOULD RETAIN CHEMICALS. YOU SHOULD SEE GREENISH COLOR THROUGHOUT MOST OF SAPWOOD OF A FRESHLY CUT SECTION. NOTE: GOOD IDEA TO STOP POTENTIAL ROT BY COATING CUT ENDS OF LUMBER WITH PRESERVATIVE THAT CONTAINS FUNGICIDE LIKE COPPER NAPHTHENATE.

- HEARTWOOD OF MOST COMMONLY TREATED SPECIES LIKE SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE & PONDEROSA PINE WON’T ABSORB PRESERVATIVES. HEARTWOOD ROTS AS IF NOT TREATED AT ALL SO AVOID PIECES WITH MORE THAN 15% HEARTWOOD. NOTE: EIGHT FOOT 4X4’S & 6X6’S ARE USUALLY THE WORST FOR HEART- WOOD SO CHECK OUT 10 & 16 FOOTERS EVEN IF THEY COST MORE.

- MOST COMMON PRESERVATIVE, CHROMATED COPPER ARSENATE (CCA), IS HAZARDOUS BUT CHEMICALS ARE BOUND IN WOOD FIBER SO WOOD ITSELF IS SAFE. EPA RECOMMENDS:

1. BUY WOOD THAT’S DRY AND FREE OF SURFACE CHEMICALS.

2. HANDLE WOOD SO AS NOT TO INGEST CHEMICALS. NOT FOR CUTTING BOARDS / COUNTERTOPS.

3. WEAR DUST MASK WHILE SAWING / MACHINING WOOD.

4. WASH HANDS AFTER HANDLING WOOD & LAUNDER WORK CLOTHING SEPARATELY.

5. DON’T BURN P.T. WOOD SCRAPS.

NOTE: CHEMICAL COMPANIES THAT PRODUCE CCA ARE DEVELOPING PRESERVATIVES WITHOUT HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS ARSENIC & CHROMIUM. PRINCIPAL FUNGICIDE, COPPER, IS STILL PRESENT.

"ACQ PRESERVE" IS NOT HAZARDOUS AND IS AVAILABLE IN MOST LARGER CITIES. (800) 421-8661 FOR DEALER INFORMATION. ACQ AND OTHER NON-HAZARDOUS P.T. CHEMICALS ARE COMPARABLE TO CCA TREATED WOOD FROM TESTING TO DATE. ACQ PRESERVE DOESN’T CONTAIN WATERPROOFING AGENT YET SO IT’S SUSCEPTIBLE TO WATER DAMAGE.

ROTTED WOOD REPAIR - IF ROT GOES ALL THE WAY THROUGH, THE WOOD MEMBER SHOULD PROBABLY BE REPLACED. IF THERE IS SOUND WOOD ALL AROUND ROTTED AREA, WAIT FOR A WARM DRY DAY THEN DIG OUT ROTTED WOOD WITH A WOOD CHISEL, STABILIZE THE WOOD AROUND THE ROTTED AREA WITH "MINWAX HIGH PERFORMANCE WOOD HARDENER", THEN FILL THE AREA WITH "MINWAX HIGH PERFORMANCE WOOD FILLER".  MINWAX - (800) 526-0495.

WOOD GRAINING METAL DOORS - USE ZAR WOOD STAIN AND THE ZAR GRAINING TOOL AVAILABLE AT PAINT & HARDWARE STORES.

1. PAINT DOOR WITH A WOOD-TONE LATEX AND LET IT DRY.

2. WIPE THIN, UNIFORM COAT OF STAIN OVER DOOR.

3. WHILE STAIN IS WET, MOVE GRAINING TOOL FROM TOP TO BOTTOM AT A UNIFORM SPEED GENTLY TWISTING AND ROCKING TOOL BACK & FORTH.

4. PRACTICE UNTIL YOU GET IT RIGHT BY SIMPLY WIPING OFF STAIN AND STARTING OVER AGAIN.

5. WAIT ABOUT 24 HOURS AND APPLY POLYURETHANE VARNISH COAT.

1- QUARTER SAWN HAS A) MORE STRAIGHT GRAIN PATTERN B) LESS GRAIN RAISING C) LESS WARPING D) LESS SHRINKING IN WIDTH E) FEWER CRACKS.  QUARTER SAWN LUMBER IS TYPICALLY USED FOR SIDING & FURNITURE WHERE GRAIN APPEARANCE AND DIMENSIONAL STABILITY ARE IMPORTANT.

2- PLAIN SAWN LUMBER USES THE LOG MORE EFFICIENTLY BUT HAS TENDENCY TO TWIST, WARP, AND SHRINK IN WIDTH.

TWO TYPES OF OAK PLYWOOD:

• - DON’T CONFUSE WITH WAFERBOARD, CHIPBOARD, OR PARTICLEBOARD THAT AREN’T AS STRONG.

• - LOOK FOR APA (AMERICAN PLYWOOD ASSOCIATION) GRADE STAMP "RATED SHEATHING". LARGE NUMBERS - ALLOWABLE DISTANCES BETWEEN RAFTERS AND JOISTS.  SMALL NUMBERS - TELL PANEL THICKNESS.

• - COSTS 10% LESS THAN PLYWOOD WHICH REQUIRES LARGER "VENEER" LOGS FROM WHICH MANY THIN LAYERS CAN BE CUT.

• - HANDLE LIKE PLYWOOD - LEAVE 1/8" BETWEEN SHEETS FOR EXPANSION.

• - OSB IS MORE SENSITIVE TO MOISTURE THAN PLYWOOD - 1- EDGES WILL SWELL / THICKEN IF SOAKED.  2- SHEET WILL SWELL, SAG & WEAKEN IF REPEATEDLY WETTED.

NOTE: MANY MANUFACTURERS PAINT EDGES OF OSB TO PROTECT FROM MOISTURE.

CAUTION: OSB IS MORE SLIPPERY THAN PLYWOOD SO BE CAREFUL IF USED FOR ROOF DECKING.

NOTE: INSTALL / HANDLE ACCORDING TO MANUFACTURER’S SPECIFICATIONS. 

HARDBOARD SIDING (MASONITE) - WOOD FIBER, GLUE, & MOISTURE RETARDERS (LIKE WAX) SHAPED INTO SHEETS OR BOARDS UNDER HIGH PRESSURE & HEAT.

ADVANTAGES:

• - UNIFORM IN SIZE AND SHAPE. - PERFECTLY SMOOTH PAINTING SURFACE.

• - 1/2 COST OF SOLID WOOD. - AVAILABLE IN EXTRA LONG LENGTHS.

• - SOLID WOOD EXPANDS MOSTLY IN WIDTH, HARDBOARD EXPANDS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. IN HIGH HUMIDITY, HARDBOARD CAN EXPAND LONGITUDINALLY TO BEND / BOW CAUSING "RIPPLING".

• GOOD-QUALITY HARDBOARD ("TEMPERED" OR "STANDARD" IN 1/2" THICKNESS) INSTALLED TO MANUFACTURER’S SPECIFICATIONS MINIMIZES PROBLEMS.

• - IMPROPERLY HANDLED / INSTALLED HARDWOOD INTRODUCES WATER WHICH CAUSES FIBERS TO SWELL / THICKEN AND FRACTURES PAINT ALLOWING MORE WATER. PRIME RAW ENDS AND APPLY TWO COATS OF HIGH-QUALITY ACRYLIC LATEX PAINT AFTER PRIMING

• - IMPROPER NAILING WHERE NAILHEADS BREAK OUTER PRIMED SURFACE INTRODUCES WATER.

• - INSPECT SIDING ANNUALLY. - CLEAN, PRIME, AND PAINT FLAKING / SWELLING AREAS.

• - REPLACE LOOSE OR CRACKED CAULKING.

• - MAINTAIN A GOOD WATER BARRIER.

• - VARY SIZE OF FLANGES & WEB TO ENGINEER STRENGTH.

• - SLIGHTLY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN SOLID WOOD BUT WOOD I-BEAMS ARE:

1. MORE VERSATILE - CAN SPAN FARTHER THAN COMPARABLE SOLID WOOD.

2. LIGHTER.

3. MORE EFFICIENT USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

CAUTION: YOU CAN’T CUT, DRILL OR NAIL A WOOD I-BEAM LIKE A SOLID PIECE OF LUMBER. YOU MUST NEVER CUT, NOTCH OR DRILL THE TOP & BOTTOM FLANGES. LUMBERYARD CAN SUPPLY BOOKLET DETAILING SPECIAL HANDLING AND INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS.