Construction & Contractors Blog
If you are planning a construction using timber, you might want to consider using treated pine. It is a very durable and aesthetically pleasing wood that can you can use in many parts of your house and fencing with excellent results.
Pine is usually treated to increase its resistance to insects, fungi, water and fire. There are three ways in which pine is treated. The different treatments offer unique strengths and weaknesses. The three types of treatment for pine are:
Waterborne treatments
These are made of mixed chemicals that are dissolved in water. The pine treated in this method is usually green or brown in color depending on the chemical mixture used. The chemicals used are fungicides and insecticides. Thus pine treated this way is resistant to termites, high humidity and rot. The chemicals also make the wood less susceptible to burning.
The advantage of this method is that the chemicals are absorbed by the pine so that the resistance does not wear off quickly. Pine treated using this technique is suitable for interior and exterior applications such as roofing, exterior wall cladding, decks, fences, greenhouses and structures that are submerged. It is not very attractive for indoor use because of its colors.
Solvent borne treatments
The chemicals in solvent-based treatments are mixed in a solvent. The chemicals are primarily fungicides and insecticides. Pine treated in this manner is often colorless although it can be treated with a particular dye to have the desired color. Since pine retains its beauty with this method, solvent treated pine is used a lot in indoor applications.
You can use it for decks, floor tiles, fascia, and garden furniture; it is resistant to humidity. Solvent-treated pine is not suitable for use in a structure that is submerged.
Oil-based treatments
This is the toughest type of pine. It is treated with oil, and thus it is water resistant. However, the oil usually leaves a smell, and the pine is stained black or dark brown depending on the type of oil preservative used.
Pine treated with oil is very durable and resistant to water, fire, insects and fungi. Sadly, it cannot be repainted and thus it is hardly used in house construction. Where you might use oil treated pine is in fencing. The other uses are in heavy duty applications such as electric poles, submerged structures and bridges. These types of treatment are not uniform; they are of different levels. So when you choose pine, know the level of durability you need.
Share19 May 2017
Hello, my name is Colin and this is my construction blog. When people think of the construction industry, they often just imagine guys in hard hats building brick walls. While this is a popular image of the industry, it doesn't reflect the true diversity of different contractors and tradesmen who are involved in a construction project. Lasy year, my wife and I decided to construct our dream home. I had to arrange visits of plumbers, roofers, electricians, surveyors and home builders in order to get the job done. I learnt a lot during that experience, so I decided to start this blog.