Is it a good idea to use pressure treated stock to make screen frames to be used on covered porch? The frames are to be painted with exterior house paint. I'm wondering if warping will be a problem. Also, I'm wondering how wide the fame material should be. I will be using stock that i will mill down to 3/4" thick.
I wouldn't, especially if I was going to mill it down. Not sure the actual chemical they pressure treat with goes very far beneath the surface. Plus, what I've seen of pressure treated lumber is very wet. Probably has a high moisture content and might likely warp/bow/ twist as it dries. I would use a clear pine or something, prime it with oil base paint and topcoat with a good latex. I would guess 1
1/2 to 2 1/2 inch width for the frames depending on how large they are on average. For normal sized like 36 x 60 I would use 1 1/2 with one rail halfway between the upper and lower rails. BTW there is a proper way to make the rails and stiles but I don't recall offhand which way it is. Either the upper and lower rails fit between the two verticle stiles OR they go above and below the vertical stiles. I think its the former but not sure.
IMHO, NO!
It's wet, it's chintzy, and you sure don't want to machine the stuff.
I'd machine Doug Fir, then prime and paint afterb ass'y
Lew
Use an outdoor wood such as cyprus, white oak, teak, cedar, redwood., etc. Or, prime/paint with any hardwood. Your width depends on the size of the frame, maybe 1" for an average size.
HI,
I would not use presurre treated wood for this, I would use cedar, cypress or oak. Prime and paint. I have section on outdoor wood uses on my web site under outdoor projects
Randy http:/nokeswoodworks.com
My wife built some flyscreens out of pressure treated slats that had been sitting in my closed-in store for several years, and were straight. No problems there, they haven't warpend in a couple of years and they aren't even painted (but they're not really exposed either, since they have the whole verandah in front of them).
But, like the others said: I wouldn't use pressure treated straight from the lumber yard/treatment plant. That'll most likely end up as propeller blades. In the end it'll work out cheaper to use more expensive material.
-P.
From what I understand the new PT material is much safer to use and be around/less toxic. You do need to use APC rated fasteners with the "new" PT lumber as the typical hardware will prematurely corrode.
PT will warp as it dries out. You can buy Kiln Dried PT but you ill most likely have to search for it as better lumber yards. Additionally, paint does not usually adhere well to wet PT lumber. Kiln dried helps in this respect also.
In the old days (before storm/screen aluminum windows and thermo pane) it was common to make screen frames and storm windows from fir. The oils in the fir make it last well if it has a good layer of paint over it. Fir is quite reasonably priced, although not cheap, and available from many lumberyards, although sadly not from the BORGS. It comes in most of the common lumber dimensions (2 by ___ and 1 by ____). I recently needed 6 some quarter and ended up with 1 inch thick finished stair treads, which provided some nice straight grain wide boards, and all that was required was to rip the round nose off one edge A few phone calls to the smaller specialty lumber sources in your area should find all you need.
Charley
There's no benefit. Pressure treated wood is resistant to mold, fungus, and insects and can be left in contact with moisture for extended periods of time (20 years in a foundation).
Your screens are in open air and sunlight, and will get wet/dry with the seasons. Paint or stain will protect against sunlight and wet/dry cycles, but pressure treatment does nothing for that.
I should have mentioned some woods that "will" work:
white oak cypress white pine cedar fir poplar
gary wrote:
"gary" wrote
No, Fir.
I'm surprised you have poplar on the list. I always thought that poplar was NOT an outdoor wood.
You could use KDAT (Kiln Dried After Treatment) pressure treated but I much prefer Clear All Heart Vertical Grain Western Red Cedar.
Regards,
Tom
Thos.J.Watson - Cabinetmaker tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet
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