Paint Pressure Treated Wood?

[N4IXT]

Hi All,

I have a question. Recently I bought a metal frame / axel that serves as the base for a trailer. All I have to do is put on a floor and sides.

I plan to use plywood for the floor and sides, with 2x4's for bracing the sides and corners. I plan to paint everything, top and bottom prior to bolting it to the trailer. When not in use the trailer will sit outside. No room in the carport :( .

My question: Since I plan on painting, do I need to go to the extra expense of purchasing pressure treated lumber, or will standard lumber hold up fine since it will be painted?

I'd appreciate any suggestions, especially from those who have done something similar.

Thanks!

Robert / N4IXT

[David]

If you plan on burying that trailer in your back yard, by all means use PT. Otherwise, forget the PT! :)

Dave

N4IXT wrote:

[Edwin Pawlowski]

As long as you keep paint on it, the wood will last for many years. Be sure to check the underside and keep it sealed.

[Patriarch]

"N4IXT" wrote in news:ZI4se.5156$ [e-mail]:

In the industrial neighborhood near the port and rail heads, a couple of the hardwood dealers have what they call 'utility truck decking', for the floors of trucks, trailers, rail cars, etc. Cheap hardwood, meant to stand up to the abuse that such floors get. Usually some variant of oak, or something with similar characteristics. I'd at least make a few calls.

The 'new PT' doesn't seem to have the same surface hardness as the old, copper arsenic green kind. At least the kind I've seen. And the fastener requirements are different, for corrosion control. In some cases, what works with the 'new PT' isn't completely understood quite yet.

Patriarch

[George]

If the wooden portions will be in contact with the bottom of the trailer, unless you're hanging it up, go PT on them. Leaving them outside in the rain will collect water between the bed and the sides, rotting them out. PT ply makes good sense for the same reason. Anything you leave in the bed becomes a source for hidden water in that case. Where drainage is guaranteed, regular is dandy.

I lucked out with my "anything" hauler. Was up servicing a site one day when they took down the old microwave reflector. Bottom of my trailer is

6x8 of well-braced aluminum. Thing fit within a half inch all around.

[Robert Allison]

This was my experience:

Bought a trailer in 1980, painted untreated pine. The decking lasted 8 years. Replaced the decking with treated pine, unpainted. Still good today.

[Pat Barber]

Given the current price of PT SYP vs plain old SYP, I would use the PT wood and be done with it. SYP is hard enough to stand up to "most" abuse and will last a good lomg time.

If you elect to go with PT wood, wait at least six months or more to paint. The PT treatment really jambs the moisture in the wood and it needs time to dry out before the paint is applied.

Plywood is quick but will not hold up over time.

N4IXT wrote: