Trailer decking thickness

The composite material is probably to light, our home center only has 5/4 by 6". The treated is available in 2x6 which is what is on my trailer. Here UV radiation is a bigger problem than moisture. My trailer is about 3 years old and the deck material seems to be holding up.

 

The UV is certainly a huge factor here, as well. The PO of my trailer only stained/sealed the top of the wood he put on and it just rotted away. I think the trailer originally came from the SE somewhere.

 

If you do go pressure treated, make sure you use stainless hardware. The newer non-arsenic wood eats galvanized steel.

 

We always treated farm trailers with boiled linseed oil. Seems to to a good job of protecting the wood and it's a lot cheaper than deck stain or Thompson's or any of that stuff.

 

used motor oil and old diesel seals them up good...



R)

 

I'm glad you said that. It works but it's messy.

...and not to great for the environment.

 

EPA would frown, the old neighbor used that mix for 40+_ years on his roof, still in great shape.

 

Used motor oil is a known carcinogen. I'd rather dump it in the recycling vat and pay the 8 bucks for a jug of boiled linseed oil.

 

little does everybody remember all telephone poles and fence posts were treated with oil and tar. most are still in the ground to day. stay away from treated wood on al also, talk with boat guys that put it on their floors and found it eat away the al cross members and some the bottom of the boat.

 

And the point is? :? Most old houses used asbestos and lead paint too, and a lot of them are still around today too. Just because something was used in the past doesn't mean it's safe or smart to use it today if we know it's potentially dangerous.

 

asbestos is only a problem when it's air bone or ate, 2 of which I don't plan on doing. Same goes for lead paint, which lasts longer. please explain to me how oil that comes from the ground when treated on wood is going to hurt me or you? No one ever said to put so much oil on the wood that it is dripping off going down the road. oil treated wood also keeps out pests, (termites, incests, beavers, etc.) in hot wet climates this is a very good thing. The product that is put on treated boards today is also not good for you or me to eat or inhale. Lead was taken out of gas because of the air bone side effects, not because of its great abilty to lubricate the top end of the engine. Most country's still use lead in there fuel. I feel we are better off with out the lead in fuel. DDT is also used (heavily) in countries that we import our vegys and fruit from. (DDT caused flapper babies?) Alot of things that are "bad" for us, really aren't as bad as most think. I live off of raw milk, which if you believe what the usda says I should be dead by now.

 

It seems to me that just because oil came from the ground doesn't mean it is safe. We have to remember it came mostly from deep within the ground and not from the surface, where we all live. Also, it came from beneath the water tables or from places that didn't tap into ground water. Just because it isn't dripping off old power poles (which I've actually seen here in the hot desert - more like oozing) doesn't mean it isn't leaching off them and moving down through the soil.

Oil treatments, asbestos, lead and other things were originally used because they were easily obtained and applied. That doesn't mean they are the best solution now. They were within the grasp of available technology at the time of "discovery" but technology and our overall understanding of our environment have changed. We know more now and have the technologies to develop friendlier substances.

There is a concept along the lines of, "Do no harm," which means in this case that when in doubt about the safety of a possible toxic substance, err on the side of caution. If you are later proven wrong, moving ahead isn't a problem. If you are proven correct, problem avoided.

If you are close to the source of raw milk, the perceived problem is likely to be less than if you are removed by hundreds of miles and several layers of handling. I think there are now standards for raw milk that we not in place, say, fifty years ago.

 

This thread has now veered far off topic, but to reiterate my point. USED motor oil (not new) is a KNOWN carcinogen and should only be disposed of in appropriate recycling centers. It has been shown to produce skin cancer under prolonged contact. Using it for any other purpose is dangerous and stupid.

Even though this is far off topic, as a biologist I can't let this issue go without comment: Drinking raw milk is playing Russian roulette! You may not die the first time, but sooner or later you WILL come into contact with dangerous bacteria that are seriously going to hurt you or make you violently sick. Brucellosis is not fun. Neither is salmonella, E. coli, listeria, or even tuberculosis. Why take the risk?

No, leaded fuel is NOT still used by most countries. It has been phased out almost everywhere except for a handful of countries.

And finally, DDT had nothing to do with "flapper babies", which I assume is a reference to Thalidomide babies. Thalidomide was a drug given to pregnant women to combat morning sickness and unfortunately caused babies to be born with underdeveloped limbs. DDT's main downside, besides being carcinogenic, was that it was extremely toxic to wildlife and nearly wiped out the bald eagle and peregrine falcon because it caused their egg shells to become thin and fragile. It was banned worldwide under the Stockholm Convention and is NOT still heavily used by countries where we get our fruits from.

 

Sorry for being so far off topic, but DDT is and will be used in south America, china, and other parts of asia. I miss spoke on the flapper babies, I did not know that for sure and with draw that comment.

little know fact, oil products are in every thing from what we wear, clean, and eat.

As far as the raw, 2 gallons a week for the last two years. How did humans make it this long on raw milk? "bkap" is on the right path. when you process milk it kills the bad and good bacteria. when you drink skim milk you are drinking water. the good parts of milk are in the fat not the water. Vit D added is not absorbed as well naturally in the milk and lost when you take out the fat. Studies used raw milk to treat TB with success. I take the risk every day night and snacks because of the taste, goodies, and I am in control of the product. (people that process milk, put out of date milk back in the bulk tank and re-date. Well known practice at two processors near by)

This will be my last comment and I am sorry we have gotten so far off topic. This is my fault and I will try my best to keep it from happening again.

 

In response to your comment about oil, and not to beat a dead horse, but..........one drop of oil contaminates 20 gallons of water enough to make it a non-livable enviroment for aquatic insects. Thankfully we have lot's of water to dilute it. The chesapeake bay has large dead areas, partially because of oil runoff. Everyone's downstream.
The chemicals in treated limber usally are heavier than water, so they end up at the bottom of the creek , and they are mostly solids that don't dilute except under treatment conditions. So yes oil was used for years as a treatment, and no longer is for lot's of good reasons. Most of the time if we don't see an immediate result, we think it's safe. I am exposed to radiation every day, and it's monitored heavily. Can't see any immediate results, but exposure is cumulative. Take the long view.