Scaffhold Boards for decking......

Remember Scaffolding boards aren't pressure treated, you can get also some nasty splinters from scaffold boards, so they would need to be sanded, also if you have sprogs then think twice before using them.
Thought about using railway sleepers, used or new, can get some great effects.

 

Hi south. I will probably get shot when I get seen on this thread coz I have no clue what I'm on about but I'm a wood lover especially quirky stuff like this.
There are lots of people that have done it successfully. I was just reading about it on another forum where there is a big thread on it. What surprised me was the huge difference of opinions it got. There seemed to be no middle ground. Some had done it, it had lasted years when well looked after and treated! Other pros though were quite scathing about the idea. Was quite a funny read. I can't name the forum sorry not allowed but if you put your title in Google its one of the first ones up if your quite frugal and like to look after your pennies its a good site
Kiab above has made great points though as always. The same points cropped up on the other thread. They are very rough apparently. Don't forget little animal paws too mind the cat

 

P.s I'm not really crazy south the avi is just a little joke
Let us know how you get on if you go ahead with the project. Send us some pics

 

KIAB, I would think the OP asked, mainly because of cost, using sleepers would be mental money for new ones, and old ones are banned from residential use if they contain TAR, which almost 100% of them would.

Scaffold boards wouldn't be much cheaper then decking anyway, especially if using new boards, though I've got to say would look nicer due to them being more rustic.

 

Banned from residential use since when.

 

Sorry, maybe banned was a bit harsh, shouldn't would have been a better word.


http://www.railwaysleeper.com/railway sleeper treatments.htm

 

I had a look at reclaimed sleepers a while back. They were very expensive and stunk of diesel.

 

Undesirable!

http://www.uksleepers.co.uk/

 

Ok, mini DA, you win,

 

As long as the scaff boards are kept well off the ground and aren't allowed to have water pooling on them, then they should - in theory - last a decent amount of time with basic maintenance. I mean, they spend their normal lives ootside mostly; it's only when they are left lying on damp ground for a while that they seriously start to rot.

I guess they will 'cup' to some extent like wot floorboards do? Ie - if you look at the end grain, turn the board so's the bulk of the end grain curves are like smiling faces. Er, I mean 'U' and not ^. I think that's the way to lay them.

That way they should 'cup' with the raised part in their middles on the top surface, so water should run off them - and it also just looks better that way too.

Treatment? You want it to weather but not rot. Surely a deep-penetrating clear wood preserver is the way to go? Some will also have water-repellent properties which I guess it a good idea (unless water-repellent will cause algae to form on the top? I don't know.)

Absolutely dip the end grains after cutting them to size. Obviously you'll need a container large enough for this.

Get them all bone dry outside first, and them dip t'ends and brush/spray the surfaces.

Undersides? I'm guessing simply the same process - spray/brush on clear water-repellent preserver. I don't think I'd coat it with anything else 'cos that would risk upsetting the balance of the timer's breathability, so it would be more likely to move with weather and temp, I think.

If you want them to weather, then I certainly wouldn't spend time sanding the darned things - surely you want them 'natural' and to be gently worn in with foot traffic?

Would it be a silly idea to buy one board, cut it into sections and run some trials on them? Eg - fully unprotected, clear preserver, sanded, and , er, that's about it...

 

For me this is the best