Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,899
Posts557,050
Members18,451
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,407
ewest 21,474
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,110
Who's Online Now
2 members (Rainman, Bobbss), 284 guests, and 147 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 621
R
OP Offline
R
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 621
I built my floating dock at the end of 2008 and its already starting to rot away. After letting the PT wood weather for a couple of months, I used Sikkens SRT and have re-coated about once a year since. The first pic shows moss, mildew, etc. that is growing in between the planks.



Here are a couple of gangway planks I've recently replaced.



And here are some of the Deckmate brand screws I used. Some were in great shape, some like these pictured, and some were rusted heavily and snapped when I tried removing them.



In hindsight, I'm guessing I should have coated all 6 sides of the boards prior to laying them. Would this help? That's what I'm doing with the replacement planks. Shouldn't the wood last longer or does it depend on the region? We get close to 60 inches of rainfall annually.

Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,058
Likes: 7
D
Offline
D
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,058
Likes: 7
First were those screws yellow zinc coated?

Yellow zinc will react with the green PT and rot. Lucky to get four years from them in PT wood. You need to use ceramic coated screws for the new PT.

Do you know the species of wood that is PTreaded? Here in Canada we treat spruce with PT but in most of the US they tread southern yellow pine. Southern yellow pine is a far better PT product because the wood its self resists rot naturally. Only problem I have had with working with southern yellow pine is it is heavy really heavy and most of the time needs to be pre drilled for screws. The screw really likes to follow the grain of the wood. The center of the grain seems to be softer and the screw likes to stick to the softer parts of the tree.

If you want something to really last for ever use Ipe or Jatoba with stainless fasteners and prepare to drill a bunch of holes. Both of these woods are very hard and heavy but will last for ever.

Hope this helps. This is from my experience with decking and stair building for the outdoors.

Cheers Don.


[Linked Image from corvettejunkie.com]
http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4


7/8th of an acre, Perch only pond, Ontario, Canada.
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,315
F
Offline
F
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,315
There are different grades of PT wood. I believe the cheap stuff is called landscape timbers/material. Sure they(the stores) will call it PT, but look at the labels that are stapled on each batch of wood. I have even seen these labels change from one load of wood to the next as it is brought in, so be carefull. The higher the pcf the better, it will be in small letters on the label. I think the landscape material is rated .05pcf -- compared to another that may be .20pcf --- big difference! then I believe the in-ground material is even higher. However, I think the in ground PT can only be bought in large square like timbers. I have heard mention on here that you can get marine grade? I bet that is high in pcf and perhaps you could but standard 2x6 in that.

All the outdoor finishes have been reformulated over past years, thanks to the EPA rules. They are all water based and just don't hold up like the old finishes. I carve outdoor sculptures in wood, and I have just about given up on a good reliable outdoor finish. Sikkens used to be one of the best until they had to change their formula. I have heard a lot of bad stuff since. For the past 7 years, I have a wall full of sample boards all finished in different ways to see what holds up. I don't trust what any paint can will guarantee!!! And from what I experience, they all fall short of promises.

There are basically two types of finish. One will coat the wood and make it look pretty, but if it gets a crack in that coating, the wood underneath will deteriorate fast(show me a wood that won't crack!). The other type will soak into the wood and preserve it, but the surface will probably not look pretty.

Yes, you want and really need to coat all surfaces, however some things are next to impossible to do. It would be good to coat it before it goes down. How you are suppose to do it after that is a real head-scratcher. Best thing is make it out of a wood that will last and don't worry so much about the finish.

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714
Likes: 281
R
RAH Offline
Lunker
Offline
Lunker
R
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714
Likes: 281
Where is a good arsenic treatment when you need one?

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 621
R
OP Offline
R
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 621
The screws were not zinc plated. They are coated specifically fopr outdoor use. The Deckmate screw company say this about their coating: "•Deck Mate screws are designed for use in all lumber including ACQ, CA, and CBA pressure treated lumber".

Not sure of the species of the wood. I thought it was always just pine. I guess I will just replace planks as needed since I've only got 4 years left over here. I will certainly be aware of what I'll be using the next time I build a dock.

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714
Likes: 281
R
RAH Offline
Lunker
Offline
Lunker
R
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5,714
Likes: 281
I have gone to ring-shank deck nails. They do not shear off when the wood contracts during dry periods. I replace screws with these as they break.

Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,058
Likes: 7
D
Offline
D
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,058
Likes: 7
Originally Posted By: roadwarriorsvt
The screws were not zinc plated. They are coated specifically fopr outdoor use. The Deckmate screw company say this about their coating: "•Deck Mate screws are designed for use in all lumber including ACQ, CA, and CBA pressure treated lumber".

Not sure of the species of the wood. I thought it was always just pine. I guess I will just replace planks as needed since I've only got 4 years left over here. I will certainly be aware of what I'll be using the next time I build a dock.


Could you cut across one of the chunks you have off and post a picture? I could tell from that what species of wood it is.

Originally Posted By: RAH
I have gone to ring-shank deck nails. They do not shear off when the wood contracts during dry periods. I replace screws with these as they break.


I have seen so many 3" shear off when fastening 1.5" X 5.25" deck planking. I am betting 25% maybe more.

Cheers Don.

EDIT: P.S. I see your screw driver needed was torques. How many screws did you have to throw out because you could not get the driver tip into the screw? If not many then the coating was really thin. I bet 5% are garbage with the good ceramic coating because the hole fills with the coating. Even with the #8 red Robby


[Linked Image from corvettejunkie.com]
http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4


7/8th of an acre, Perch only pond, Ontario, Canada.
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,177
Likes: 28
L
Offline
L
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 2,177
Likes: 28
I found the ceramic coated screws are worthless. One chink in the "armor" and the rust pops off all of the ceramic. Zinc at least resists rust due to battery action, it just needs enough zinc to last a long time. Alternately use stainless, which I started using around the pond.

Note that if you have 84 Lumber near you, you can specify the wood to be treated for in-ground use, or water use, and they will order the wood specific to the purpose. It will still be cheaper than Home Depot or Lowes. Besides the PT rating, treated wood manufacturers will perform a second pass on the wood to make the materials insoluble once impregnated.

More to the point, make sure the materials match your project.
Home Depot is useless for this as mentioned you never know what you are going to get from the stock shelves.

Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 621
R
OP Offline
R
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 621
The torx heads fit fine in the screw head. Even room to spare, so I guess the coating was thin. Don't have the old wood anymore so no pics. I'll definitely go with SS hardware and marine grade lumber next time.

Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,058
Likes: 7
D
Offline
D
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,058
Likes: 7
Wow though 90"s of rain fall is huge. What fish do you have in your pond in Hawaii?

I was told from friends that if we were to take a trip to Hawaii that we should stay on the island of Kawaii.

Cheers Don.


[Linked Image from corvettejunkie.com]
http://www.pondboss.com/subscribe.asp?c=4


7/8th of an acre, Perch only pond, Ontario, Canada.
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 621
R
OP Offline
R
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 621
Its Dole's 350 acre irrigation reservoir. We have over 20+ species of fish. Lots of aquarium fish that people have dumped into the lake and they have taken over. Main species are butterfly peacock bass, LMB, even some smallmouth, bluegill, red devil cichlids, mini gar, tilapias, etc., etc.

Kauai has the most freshwater fishing areas, including trout! And it is one of the least commercialized islands to.

Last edited by roadwarriorsvt; 06/14/14 10:20 PM.

Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
Bob Lusk, GaryK, GrizzFan, PhotographerDave
Recent Posts
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by Rainman - 03/28/24 02:53 AM
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by Mark Dyer - 03/27/24 10:18 PM
Reducing fish biomass
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:17 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:05 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:02 PM
Questions and Feedback on SMB
by Donatello - 03/27/24 03:10 PM
Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails
by Bill Cody - 03/27/24 10:18 AM
Brooder Shiners and Fry, What to do??
by esshup - 03/27/24 08:47 AM
2024 North Texas Optimal BG food Group Buy
by Dave Davidson1 - 03/27/24 08:15 AM
Dewatering bags seeded to form berms?
by esshup - 03/26/24 10:00 PM
Freeze Danger? - Electric Diaphragm Pump
by esshup - 03/26/24 09:47 PM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5