drying damp wood shelves in the garden

[jw 1111]

bought some three inch by two inch treated timber from wickes. it was difficult to saw and someone said it was because the wood was still damp.

we are going to use it for outdoor shelves in the garden. where the ends were cut we were going to seal the ends possible with external clear varnish, is that a good thing to use?

would it be advisable to wait until summer when it is drier before sealing the ends? bearing in mind they will remain outside in the garden all the time. thanks.

[Gooey TARBALLS]

I think you are to dip the cut ends in copper sulfate or similar before coating.

[Gooey TARBALLS]

Preservatives for Field Cuts

According to American Wood-Preservers' Standard M4-02, lumber and timber which are used in above ground applications and are of sapwood species such as southern, red or ponderosa pine, generally do not require treatment to provide a good service life. This category includes the majority of the treated products Universal Forest Products provides. Other heartwood species, typically found in the Western US, should be field treated when cut or drilled. If you are concerned about wood exposed due to cutting or drilling, you can use a brush-applied preservative.

Home centers and lumberyards often carry brush-applied preservative systems based on two different active chemicals: either copper naphthenate or IPBC (3-iodo 2-propynyl butyl carbamate). These systems should be applied, in accordance with their labels, to any surface exposed by damage or field fabrication. Users should carefully read and follow the instructions and precautions listed on the preservative system label when using them.

[Fred]

If you plan to leave the shelves outside, there is no point to drying them first. Treated lumber should be fine outside as is. Sealing the ends is pointless. You could paint the ends with wood preservative but the benefit would be small. Expect the boards to swell and shrink as moisture levels change. Fred