I have a chance to buy quite a bit of rough sawed poplar lumber at a very good price. I am going to build a barn with it and will have enough left that I would like to build a large deck onto my house. My concern is that the wood is not treated against insects and moisture. Does anyone have ideas as to how I can preseve the wood ( for the deck ) without getting into a huge cost?

Thanks,

Pete

-- Pete Frontz (frontzfarm@1st.net), February 12, 2001

Answers

Hi Pete,

If I remember correctly, poplar is fairly resistant to rot if kept drained, but I would use some clear Thompsons Waterseal on it. It is a pretty wood too.

-- Wayne in Kentucky (wallen328@aol.com), February 12, 2001.

Poplar (popple, we call it up here) strikes me as a pretty fragile wood to be using in structure building, but maybe you're talking about a different tree than I'm familiar with. I've heard -- never used it myself -- that it tends to splinter when exposed to weather, altho it's a pretty wood for some furniture uses. If you use it for a deck, treat each entire piece of lumber with Weather Seal or a similar product, not just the top.

-- Cash (cash@andcarry.com), February 13, 2001.

CWF wood preservtive.

-- hillbilly (internethillbilly@hotmail.com), February 13, 2001.

Unless you live where the weather is dry with very little rain or snow fall, I wouldn't use untreated wood. The amont of labor and love that goes into anything like this, to then rot, twist and split in just several years is just such a waste. The Thompson waterseal is fine, but how are you going to treat the bottom of the deck every 6 months? Here in East Texas, you would be building a very expenisive dinner for termites! Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 13, 2001.

I agree with hillbilly. CWF is a much better and longer lasting product than Thompsons,in my opinion.

-- jz (oz49us@yahoo.com), February 13, 2001.

Two things here: as for the pressure treated issue mentioned in one response, I'm not sold on the idea, my ancestors and yours were building porches for hundreds of years without pressure treated lumber,the key is protecting the wood. Which brings me to my second point , the reason your poplar is so cheap may well be that poplar is always cheap, it's one of the softest and least durable woods and frankly a poor choice for any exterior application, treated or otherwise. I use it in furniture only where alot of lathe work is required because its' softness makes it an excellent turning wood, otherwise I try to avoid it, cheap or otherwise.Soft woods are notoriously unstable even when properly dried and treated. Good luck.

-- dan (dcbaker@2ki.net), February 13, 2001.

Came across this a few years ago I believe it was from University of WI, never tried it myself but it sounds good. You might want to experiment with it first though. CHEAP EXTERIOR SEALER To make one gallon of solution you will need: 1 1/2 cup of boiled linseed oil,one ounce of paraffin wax, and 3 quarts of solvent such as (turpentine, mineral spirits, or paint thinner). Mix the linseed oil with the solvent, then cut the wax into thin shavings. Then add it to the mixture. Put in a warm place. Let the wax melt, not over a fire. Apply the sealer after the wax has dissolved. Think about adding fungicide or mildecide.

-- Brushfarmer (saddlemound@hotmail.com), February 18, 2001.