How To Treat Pine For Outdoor Use? (Answered!)

Constructive endeavors performed outside are suitable applications for pinewood. 

However, there are several essential steps that you will need to follow to ensure that the resulting structures maintain their high level of quality.

Painting, utilizing sealants, and staining the exterior wood are all examples of such preventative actions. 

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to treat pine for outdoor use.

You will save time and some money if you do not take preventative steps with the wood. 

But the flip side is even worse; you’re sure to run into many problems that will make you regret why you didn’t prove and provide the wood the essential protection before you started working with it.

VIDEO: How To Seal Wood For Outdoor Use DIY

Overview

Decks or balconies made of wood can be the focal point of any yard if they are correctly designed. It’s perfect for those late summer evenings when you want to spend quality time with your family and friends.

You’ll want to ensure that any wooden buildings outside can withstand any weather so you can enjoy your quality time for an extended period.

After only one or two years, an outside wooden structure could start to rot and deteriorate depending on the general weather and environmental circumstances where you reside.

This time frame is quite variable.

This level of durability is unquestionably insufficient for a decking material on which you plan to make memories that will last a lifetime.

Because of this, it is essential to treat any wooden constructions that will be exposed to the elements. If you handle pressure treated wood correctly, it can have a lifespan of approximately 25 years!

However, the price of purchasing decking or a balcony constructed with pretreated wood furniture may be significantly higher than you anticipated.

Even after they have been constructed, structures made of untreated wood can, thankfully, still be treated in several different ways.

How to Prepare Pine for Use in the Open Air

It is sealing pine in preparation for its usage in outdoor applications. 

Either linseed oil or Danish oil that is wood oil can seal the pine wood type or pine timber, producing a more golden hue on the surface of the wood.

Repeating the application at regular intervals will ensure that your surface or waterproof wood furniture continues to look clean and presentable.

How Long Will Pinewood Survive in the Open Air?

How wood grain used outside is treated determines how long it will last.

The amount of time that anything spends in touch with water directly determines how long it will remain outside.

Pine or treated timber will have a substantially longer lifespan if it is protected from the elements (such as rain and snow) by being stored in an enclosed space.

Pinewood is not resistant to decay when it comes into direct contact with water, and most species of pine are susceptible to decay due to their significant vulnerability to insects belonging to the genus Dendroctonus.

 However, treated pine can be preserved from the elements by applying weathering oils or chemicals, extending its lifetime when left outside by many years compared to untreated lumber or untreated pine.

Is It Okay To Use Pine That Has Not Been Treated Outside?

The usage of untreated wood surface in outdoor settings is not a good idea at all.

Because of the following dangers, it is not a good idea to do so:

Water

When used outside, pine wood is most susceptible to damage from water or other forms of moisture.

When it rains, the wood becomes wet and is then susceptible to various issues, including rot and the growth of molds within the wood itself.

Sealants for outdoor wood furniture help prevent decay and make it resistant to mildew.

Because they waterproof your wood, they also protect against water infiltration, which is another benefit of using them.

Sunlight

Your paint pressure treated wood will benefit from sunlight, but an excessive amount of it might be damaging.

The sun emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is known to have a damaging effect.

For example, pinewood is bleached and loses its color due to the sun’s rays because the oil in the wood is evaporated.

 Applying pine wood stain containing UV light blockers will protect the wood from sun damage.

Humidity

Pinewood or untreated timber must be kept away from environments with high amounts of humidity.

Untreated wood will gather moisture when exposed to high humidity levels since it is porous.

Consequently, it will serve as a fertile breeding environment for molds, which could ultimately result in rotting given enough time.

The state of the weather

The weather and climate conditions play an important role in determining how long your pinewood will last.

Some regions experience unfavorable and severe weather conditions, making it inappropriate to use pine forests in those regions.

For instance, locations that receive a great deal of sunlight are not ideal because this results in a high level of UV generation, which is detrimental to the health of your wood.

In areas that frequently see heavy downpours, untreated wood becomes moist, which leaves it susceptible to rot or decay, in contrast to pine, which has been treated with pressure.

Alternatives to pine wood, including many species of wood that are suited for use in outdoor applications

Several kinds of wood are suitable for use in construction projects that take place outside. However, the woods have a wide range of differences in terms of quality, durability, and purpose.

Those that are long-lasting can repel water and protect themselves from deterioration and disintegration. Despite this, I suggest you construct your outdoor projects with wood treated with pressure.

The following types of wood are recommended for use in outdoor furniture:

Cypress

Cypress is a wood that originated in Southeast Asia and is known for its ability to thrive in regions with soil frequently saturated with water.

It can withstand deterioration and functions satisfactorily when used for maritime applications like boat docks and fence posts. In addition, the dimensional stability of cypress wood makes it resistant to cracking and splitting.

Redwood

This particular tree was chosen due to its robust resistance to various climatic conditions. However, because it does not grow everywhere, the wood is relatively pricey due to its scarcity.

Cedar

It is one of the most prevalent types of wood used for making wooden constructions that are sturdy enough to withstand invasion by insects and prevent decay even if they are not treated.

On the other hand, it is brittle and can be readily fractured when being screwed or nailed.

Teak

When exposed to the elements, teak wood maintains its consistency, quality, and durability for an exceptionally long time. In addition, if exposed to sunlight for an extended period, the coloration will not change.

All these types of wood have the advantage of combining their inherent strength with other beneficial properties, such as the ability to be stained or sealed.

How to Apply a Finish on Pine Wood

You will require high-quality sealers to seal wood that has not been pressure appropriately treated.

The following are the steps that, when followed, can help you get the most out of pieces of non-pressure wood:

• Confirm that the wood does not have any moisture in it. After thoroughly inspecting it, the wood is in excellent shape and shows no early signs of rot or decay.
• After washing the wood, allow it to dry for between 48 and 78 hours.
• When applying the first coat of wood sealer, it is essential to follow the instructions provided by the retailer of the wood.
• Wait for the first coat to dry completely.
• Apply the second coat and wait for it to dry completely before proceeding.
• You can choose whether or not to apply a third coat based on the results of the second coat after it has been applied. At this point, these layers are adequate to offer the necessary protection to your timber.

 

Procedures for the Care and Upkeep of Pine Wood

• Always make an effort to ensure that the untreated wood stays dry.
• It is essential to prevent the buildup of moisture on your wood so that fungi, the growth of which speeds up the process of decay and rot.
• Give the wood some shade.
• Avoid letting an excessive amount of UV rays reach the surface of the wood. This will result in drying the wood’s natural oils, which will hurt the wood’s durability.
• Check that the area where you’ve placed your wood has very little to no moisture. If possible, reduce the amount of oxygen present so that there are no favorable conditions for the growth of fungi on the wood’s surface or in the surrounding area.
• Protect the wood from the elements by applying a top sealing layer.

Conclusion

Is the usage of pressure treated pine wood in the outdoor project permissible? 

This essay shows that pinewoods are versatile and may be utilized in various construction applications. 

But first, you must take precautions to preserve the wood with the use of pressure treated lumber method and lengthen its lifespan so that it can be of greater use.

For this purpose, you can get the same effect by concurrently applying stains, paints, and sealers to the wood. 

If, on the other hand, you want the structure to continue serving its purpose for more than ten years, consider utilizing pressure-treated wood.

The wood is protected against many of the elements that endanger the existence of its non-pressure-treated equivalent. Therefore it is known to provide a lifetime of service. 

But, again, this is because of the pressure treatment process.

FAQ on How To Treat Pine for Outdoor Use