deck wood shrinking

1. You cannot do anything about this until the weather allows, perhaps in May.
2. The main cause of damage to timber decks is damp, which encourages mould and fungus. The gap between your posts and rails may facilitate drainage and rapid drying. (3. Some deck builders dip every end grain cut in preservative or stain before installation.)

-- Don Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada)

Often PT wood is "wet", shipped as it comes out of the treatment tanks. Shrinkage will naturally continue for some time after exposure to normal environments. Given your situation, I would let it stabilize for another few months, and tackle the cosmetics next fall. Consider using a nice molding to tidy up the more noticeable shrinkage gaps. HTH

Joe

That's what wood does, especially PT wood. I would not bother with the spaces, unless they are collecting debris. Make sure the deck is clean and dry before you apply the stain. Stain all the end-grain of the entire deck first, then go back and stain everything. The end-grain is where mositure collects and rot begins.

I'd leave the shrinkage alone. PT pine will shrink as moisture is lost. I've been a long supporter of Cabot stains (my wife used to work for them in Boston) but recently my painter has been steering me towards Benjamin Moore. Experience says that an objective comparrison/evaluation might be a good thing.

RB

Sparky wrote: