Cedar Deck

freetown fred wrote:Guys, quit pattin Dann on the ass so much, you're gonna spoil him.

Ya just popped my balloon

Nice work,

[quote="JRDepew"]

michaelanthony, I quoted your post because I saw your location. I am going to be spending a few nights up in millenocket this summer. I will be hiking around baxter state park for a few days, JRDepew, p.m. me, I'm presently the head cook at the pelletier's family loggers resturaunt In millinocket and it would be nice have you stop by, any questions about accommodations etc. let me know. Mike.

Dann757 wrote:
I'll tell ya what, Joe; all the time I was working on that deck I was muttering, "I'll NEVER have a cedar deck! Freakin riduculous they were using cedar 1000 years ago, it's obsolete! Etc. Etc

If you want high maintenance and a tremendous look, cedar. Also, cedar is so soft it takes a lot of dings from furniture.
I put composite decking on the deck next door with hidden fastener's. You can go with zero maintenance on that kind of surface if you want to! It was trex or similar, dimensionally stable still,after several years, but it does take a fade. I can power wash that deck once a year and it looks clean and acceptable.
I worked on an Ipe deck once, it had faded from beautiful multicolor natural browns and reds to grey. Man that wood was so hard it took so much labor to clean it up by sanding.

I think pressure treated should be maintained with a sealer, I've seen a lot of pt decks start to cup and sliver after the rain eventually washes out the cca or whatever they treat it with. But once you finish it you get to sit there and watch the finish wear off

I agree on the cedar, it can be nice for certain uses, especially interior trim etc., but it is far too soft for a deck or flooring and it's not as rot resistant as many give it credit for. It does look nice on the deck, just don't let anyone out on it!


Rob, The black locust is great, it nails well, doesn't warp or shrink and looks good. the floor pics are from flooring that's been down for two years, many people have issues with wider flooring - 5" can leave gaps over time, but not black locust, it's as tight as the day I put it down. It doesn't take stain easily though, so be aware of that - those pics are two coats of black stain and it's still very light; also, don't let the greens fool you when it goes down, the wood when exposed to sun will turn a brownish red.

Although many places in NY either had it or could get it, I pulled that out of Vermont three years ago because of a small cost savings (my folks and I were both buying at the same time, and they had the best price on a quantity order). Also, many places in western NY by me had black locust decking, but the best price (even with shipping) was an outfit out of indiana; I bought that a few years ago, but it's been sitting in my house until this summer!

If this is a dumb question, forgive me, I am not good with wood. Does black locust flooring need to be stained or finished? I'm thinking of it for an enclosed but informal porch that is used summers mostly. If locust is as tough as you say, could I just put it down and leave it natural? I was considering laminate flooring but am concerned about the times it might get wet from open windows or from foot traffic coming in from wet grass or even snow.

Berlin,

You have a PM from me.

Thanks,
Joe

Beautifull work Dan!