Green treated lumber

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scott_l

Member
I am going to remove my current deck (house deck) boards (current deck boards are in ruff shape but stringers and railing still in good shape) and replace them with new green treated lumber. Question is how long do I have to wait before I stain the new lumber?

Do I really need to spend the extra $$$ for the special screws that are designed for the green treated lumber? I am guessing the ones that are in my deck now are not the special ones as the deck is 20 years old.

Ya I would love to go with a composite, but the green treated is about 1/3 of the price, plus we only plan to be in the house for a few more years so we don’t want to sink a “lot” of money into it.
 
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ezra

Well-known member
I would think about doing cedar toned treated not much more money and green treated as far is the screws it's hard to say depending on the ones you pick out the new treated lumber the street with a copper base for the most part so if you're screws don't have a chemical reaction with copper they should be fine
I going with the cedar tone decking you will save the step of having to refinish the green treet so the cost of the wash bing is a gallon of deck stain pushing 30 bucks
 
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dab102999

New member
X2 on ezra...the extra you will spend on the cedar will he saved on the fact wont need to do the first stain as soon..if ever depending on how much light the deck gets..did my wifes grandparents about 10 years ago and house was sold to a friend after they passed. Deck still looks almost as good as the day we put it down. Really surprised me. All they do is power wash it in the spring every year.
 
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scott_l

Member
Thanks for the suggestions guys, but my railings and spindles (guess over 200) are already stained dark brown. I am the second owner and for some stupid reason the original owner stained the entire deck dark brown (basically painted it). Other wise yes I would look at doing the brown tinted green treated and just staining it with some thing transparent or slight tint. But since the plan is to match the current railing and spindles the main deck surface will have to be stained solid color.
 
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bigvin

New member
Scott,

Just a thought,....
Have you taken a few boards off? looked at the BOTTOM SIDE?
I have a HUGE deck. Length of the House, 16' deep, and in 2 stages.
About 7 years ago, I bought ALL NEW replacement "green treated pine",...
and when I saw how good the lumber looked on the other side,... I could have
died. My Dad, and My wife's uncle took the "old" lumber and re-did THEIR
Decks. They look better today then mine does!
I have already re-stained mine 3 times since, and I have to replace 8 boards
this year. (save big money at Menards,... Ya right!)
We have the composite spindles and railings.
If I would have to do it all over. I would spend the 2/3rds more in a heartbeat
to go with the fake stuff.
But since you aren't going to "Stay" there that long,....
I'd give the "flip" job a try?
Otherwise,... Cedar would be a better bet just like the others stated.
My deck is in 100% sunlight all the time. That probably has a lot to do with
the higher maintenance.
A LOT of Work.

Let us know which way you went!
 
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