Will red oak hold up ok?.. I have put Valspar marine spar on it and it looks beautiful.. I want to use it for grab rails and such..
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You can use it but it's resistance to rot is low.
You'll have to keep it well varnished. I would highly recommend soaking it with CPES first, then applying the varnish.
You'll have to keep it well varnished. I would highly recommend soaking it with CPES first, then applying the varnish.
Don't Know for Sure, But I Can Opine
Dear Surfer: I'm not a wood expert, but a can convey what I have experienced, during many years of wood projects. Several years ago I put in new red oak floors in my home. The not used odds-and-ends were put outside to the pile that I clear out every few years when the quantity gets to be a dumpster load. After only year or so, the Oak was already beginning to split, was very discolored, and warped. Back inside, my wife didn't notice that a plastic catch plate had split under plant that was resting on the oak floor. So water was wetting the oak floor. This went on for about a week before I noticed severe discoloration of the floor in the area. The edges also had warped up. Oak will develop unsightly gray/black spots readily when in gets wet. This can be observed if sanded oak is wiped with water to raise the grain before sanding again and finishing. Even though you have varnished, H2O will ingress into the wood and with time and sun damage the finish will loose its ability to protect anyway. If you are looking for a teak alternative that is quite a bit cheaper than teak, you might want to consider IPE (iron wood). It is now a common (abeit premium) decking wood available at many lumber stores (in California anyway). Its rock hard and is rich in protecting oil, like teak. You can pick through the selection at the lumber store to find pieces that have the most appealing color and grain patterns. This month's Consumer Reports magazine did a report on decking materials. They rated IPE to be as durable as the newer synthetic deck materials. As with teak, it will weather to a natural gray color if left unfinished. regards, rardi
Dear Surfer: I'm not a wood expert, but a can convey what I have experienced, during many years of wood projects. Several years ago I put in new red oak floors in my home. The not used odds-and-ends were put outside to the pile that I clear out every few years when the quantity gets to be a dumpster load. After only year or so, the Oak was already beginning to split, was very discolored, and warped. Back inside, my wife didn't notice that a plastic catch plate had split under plant that was resting on the oak floor. So water was wetting the oak floor. This went on for about a week before I noticed severe discoloration of the floor in the area. The edges also had warped up. Oak will develop unsightly gray/black spots readily when in gets wet. This can be observed if sanded oak is wiped with water to raise the grain before sanding again and finishing. Even though you have varnished, H2O will ingress into the wood and with time and sun damage the finish will loose its ability to protect anyway. If you are looking for a teak alternative that is quite a bit cheaper than teak, you might want to consider IPE (iron wood). It is now a common (abeit premium) decking wood available at many lumber stores (in California anyway). Its rock hard and is rich in protecting oil, like teak. You can pick through the selection at the lumber store to find pieces that have the most appealing color and grain patterns. This month's Consumer Reports magazine did a report on decking materials. They rated IPE to be as durable as the newer synthetic deck materials. As with teak, it will weather to a natural gray color if left unfinished. regards, rardi
Spanish Cedar??
My wood guy keeps telling me to switch to spanish cedar. It has a beautiful grain and he says it will look almost like teak if you apply teak oil, then varnish it. He also claims that it is virtually rot free. Good luck.
My wood guy keeps telling me to switch to spanish cedar. It has a beautiful grain and he says it will look almost like teak if you apply teak oil, then varnish it. He also claims that it is virtually rot free. Good luck.
No, it wont
Plain and simple. White oak will hold up better, but will still eventually develop the black spots. These spots if developed on a darker wood would go unnoticed. Its best to stick to conventional standards when you can. Tony B
Plain and simple. White oak will hold up better, but will still eventually develop the black spots. These spots if developed on a darker wood would go unnoticed. Its best to stick to conventional standards when you can. Tony B
Where to look!!!
Hey all. I found a little treasure trove for finding wood for projects on my boat. There is a lot of waste with custom stair and cabinetry companies and you may find that they let you pick through their "waste bins". The stair companies buy a fair amount of certain products too - they may be willing to add an extra board or two at their cost for you. The custom stair place here lets me rummage through their stock any time I wish and if you talk to the manager he / she may tell you about upcoming projects that are using special woods. So my advice is to stick to the small companies that are more owner operated and see what they are throwing out!! I picked up a medium sized pile of cherry, a good sized pile of Santos Mahogony, and as much white oak as I could take. Of course the pieces were relatively short in lengths, 2' and under, but the cost of $5 was beyound compare. I can make all the cup / toothbrush holders and etc I want for my boat and it really just took some time!
Hey all. I found a little treasure trove for finding wood for projects on my boat. There is a lot of waste with custom stair and cabinetry companies and you may find that they let you pick through their "waste bins". The stair companies buy a fair amount of certain products too - they may be willing to add an extra board or two at their cost for you. The custom stair place here lets me rummage through their stock any time I wish and if you talk to the manager he / she may tell you about upcoming projects that are using special woods. So my advice is to stick to the small companies that are more owner operated and see what they are throwing out!! I picked up a medium sized pile of cherry, a good sized pile of Santos Mahogony, and as much white oak as I could take. Of course the pieces were relatively short in lengths, 2' and under, but the cost of $5 was beyound compare. I can make all the cup / toothbrush holders and etc I want for my boat and it really just took some time!
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