Hello everyone. Bit new to the world of working with wood.. so bare with me. I plan on building a woodstore with a load of studwork left over from doing the house. Therefore I'm wondering if the studwork can be used outside, and if so, which preservative is the best? (I assume it will need preserving?) I plan on building the woodstore frame out of the studwork, then cladding it in feather board. Is the best thing to do to get a decent preservative on it, then paint it in a standard fence paint? Any help is greatly appreciated. Cheers
If you clad it in feather edge board, technical the frame isn't outside, as I direct contact with the rain etc, so you could treat it with a good quality timber treatment of either clear in colour of a shade of your choice. Treat the timber before you construct the frame, or at least the ends that will butt up against other parts of the frame. Fit a breathable membrane to the frame before fitting the feather edge boards, this will further protect the frame from external rain etc.
If the timber doesn't actually get wet, then it shouldn't rot. So, if it's 'airy' and kept up from the ground, you should be fine. However, it still makes sense to treat it And the simplest and best will, I think, be penetrative preservative such as Creosote or Creosote substitute. Basically, make such it is solvent-based (so it penetrates better) and contains 'preservatives'. You will find that most 'shed and fence' coatings are just that - coatings to keep water off. You'll find many suitable products - even from our hosts. They'll also add a good colour like browns and greens. Remember, tho' - you want a 'watery' preservative - one that soaks in. Y'know, smelly stuff.
Thanks for that Phil. Didn't know whether treating it with just a tin and paintbrush would have an effect, compared to how they treat wood on an industrial scale (pressure treated is it?). When you say breathable membrane, can you give me an example? Are we talking just a breathable sheet you can buy?
Thanks for that. It'll be off the floor but with onside open to the elements, Although it will be at the side of my house so probably not as exposed to rain and moisture as if it were in the open. I''m thinking about addng some doors as well, but i think it looks better and will dry the wood better if its open. Cheers
If it's a wood store, then you really want air gaps to keep a draft running through the pile of wood. Most of the ones you will see are constructed that way. Feather boarding round 3 sides will really restrict drying, a membrane will add to that issue
I was thinking the same about the featherboards at the back. I could space them like slats so that its airs better, as no one will ever see the back (great idea james). Do we think there is really a requirement for the membrane for the woodstore? seems a bit over kill to say its going to be open to the elements on one side anyway.
Consensus then... treat all the skeleton structure with decent wood preservative, a few coats and then paint. followed by cladding all three sides fully with featherboard?
I made my wood store about four years ago with cls studs from b&q cos they were cheap, used feather edge sides and back horizontally with roughly one inch gaps. It's got pallets for the base so it's raised of the ground with good air flow. I put doors on the front of mine made the same as the sides and back and painted it in water based wood preservative as it's by the house so no smell and it looks ok. No rot at all and the wood dries out a treat, hope that helps.
doesn't need to be featherboard, that's a bit fancy - but that's cos Mr P is posh - simple hit and miss (with as many or few miss'es as you want) would be fine - as long as there's good ventilation and something to stop driven rain it'll be fine - old pallet timber works well nice IIa btw - I have my G'dads S1 here, and a couple of 3s and ......
Not posh just practical feather edge was cheap and beats collecting pallets and wasting time dismantling them. Nice picture you googled though, as usual.
hate being pedantic here, buts its a series II not IIA (IIa have the headlights on the wings....). Sorry, just like land rovers. Ha and unfortunately its not mine. I only joined today and thats the most appropriate photo i could find for me, its from the local huddersfield land rover centre that I use. I have a puma tdci (2.4) 110. ANYWAY back to wood. Great, thanks for the advise. I'll keep that all in mind when i set about getting it built this weekend. Thanks everyone
"Hello everyone. Bit new to the world of working with wood.. so bare with me." James, if I were to 'bare' with you, then I would be working with 'wood'. Woof woof.... Cough Anyways, as long as your timber frame ain't kept repeatedly wet, it'll be fine. Yes, a soak-in preservative makes total sense, as well as the types wot have a water-repellent feature - water 'beads' off - but no 'paint' as such required at all. As I'm sure you know, it's the end grain wot's most susceptible to moisture, so by all means pour whatever preservative you buy into a bucket and drop the CLS ends into them for 10 minutes. That's the bottom ends, 'cos the top ones will have a roof over them so won't ever see the rain...
It's seedy this 'screw' fix community isnt it. Thanks for the advise.. I'll be getting my wooden end dipped tonight...