How Long Will Non Pressure Treated Wood Last Outside
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Having many upcoming projects is a very common thing for a DIY lover or simply someone who loves doing home improvement projects. The outdoor deck of yours may have caught your attention lately. Or perhaps the shed is what you’re thinking to work on. One thing that relates to both of these and many other projects is use of untreated woods. Will they last outside and are there any negative impacts of including them? These are some common queries in such a scenario.
Finding out how long will non pressure treated wood last outside seems the right thing to do in such a scene so here we go. From how long they actually last to tips on increasing this period, let’s go through some important chat today. Also, maybe a few special species of wood that you can use without any fear even if they are untreated, we will mention those…
Exactly How Long Will Non Pressure Treated Wood Last Outside?
There’s no single number, but the USDA Forest Products Laboratory gives a sense of scale: untreated fence posts with nonresistant heartwood might last 5 years or less, while posts with very resistant heartwood may last 20 years or more. There are a few factors that will decide the whole duration. For example, the sunlight exposure ratio as well as structure maintained. Also, the matter of which wood you are referring to. And your region’s weather conditions. These are all important criteria that decide this duration.
If you are thinking of using non-pressure treated wood for wood vegetable gardens, then it will deteriorate quickly. However, since the wood gardens usually need quite small budgets, this isn’t actually a bad thing.
And that’s just one scenario. Depending on your circumstance, the duration will impact differently. Suppose you want to use the wood for a deck. Then this can be a bit tricky and risky actually. Because in such case, common untreated lumber may only last a handful of years.
And the reasons behind this are microorganisms infesting, water as well as termites. Where the wood stays dry and off the ground, it can last noticeably longer. There are different non-pressure treated woods that comes with a diverse outdoor lasting period.
Untreated pine has little natural decay resistance, so it’s not always the best choice for outdoor projects in damp climates or near the ground.
Cedar heartwood resists decay much better, and a well-maintained cedar fence can last many years. Keep in mind that only the heartwood is durable; the lighter sapwood of any species, cedar included, has little resistance.
Tips to Increase Longevity of Non-Pressure Treated Woods.
One thing that greatly impacts in a negative way when using not treated wood is the existence of microorganisms. As these will allow decay and rot issues. If you maintain the wood in a dry state, this will be less likely to happen. Because microorganisms need moisture to survive.
Due to too much sunlight exposure, sometimes the durability of non-treated wood gets problematic. And that can be not an issue if you manage to keep the wood under some shade for most time. Or else bleaching, degradation, and lignin depletion will take place.
Oxygen is one of the reliable sources that fungus needs. Including moisture and certain temperature. And when the sources are available, wood becomes food to fungus leading to decay and rot issues. Temperature controlling can highly help in improving the longevity of non-pressure treated wood.
When you can, store furniture made of non-treated wood under cover during the wettest months of your year. Long stretches of damp weather are when the most damage can take place.
Wooden Species That Are Excellent Even Without Pressure Treating.
The wood has this common nature of deteriorating too soon due to being in contact with the outdoors. However, there are certain species that have natural capabilities of fighting the external harsh factors that cause damage. Penn State Extension notes that cypress, redwood and cedar have heartwood that is highly resistant to rot, thanks to natural extractives that sapwood lacks. Let’s know a bit about those species specifically.
Standing up against several outdoor elements is popular praise heard about Redwood. The beautiful grain is next thing that people love it for. With the beautiful soft reddish color tone, you’ll find a lot of outdoor projects working gracefully with it. However, there’s a shortage of this wood type as the production is pretty slow. Because of that readily available redwood is quite rare.
From light yellow to a reddish dark brown, Cypress has its own beauty and the ability to resist decay. This beautiful swamp-grown variety often works for marine application. It’s also commonly seen as fence posts. The stability is really good and there are fewer chances of crack and split.
Boatbuilding usually includes the classic teak wood. As the wood variety has a fantastic ability to fight harsh conditions outside. However, it can be available in limited quantity. And so, maybe getting it in a certain region will be hard. Also, the price isn’t very cheap, quite premium to be fair. However, those who can afford it will be buying exceptional outdoor beauty with longevity no doubt.
Find out more woodworking tips on WoodworkerHelp.com
Wrap Up
And that was some note on how long will non pressure treated wood last outside plus information related that can come in help to you. With other factors, you can however improve the longevity of no matter what type of non-pressure treated wood you’re using. For example, sealers and stain application.
Also, there are products for preservatives and insecticides available to apply for fighting the problem of extreme conditions caused by insects. No matter what you chose to apply on the wood for improving its performance, make sure you’re paying attention to manufacturer’s guide and characteristic of that particular wood type.
Sources
- Comparative Decay Resistance of Heartwood of Native Species (Research Note FPL-0153), USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory
- What Is Heartwood in Trees?, Penn State Extension
