What can I put on this wood to preserve it?

[Propflux01]

I am needing something to stop any further decay on this wood. It was pressure treat wood at one time, but the elements are turning it gray and starting to crack. I need to find something to spray or put on this to keep it from degrading any further. It encompasses the south and west ends of the shop. I don't want to change the colour necessarily (hence I would have just kilz and painted it). Suggestions?

 

[mrsilv04]

I'd go with Linseed oil.

 

[dlundblad]

Maybe a marine boat finish?

 

[ecotourist]

You could cover it with siding, just like the walls (+/- the same colour), but laid horizontally. If I were going to do that I'd have a 6" - 12" strip of gravel around the base for easier finishing and to prevent anything growing or getting behind the siding.

 

[demarpaint]

I'd make sure it's clean and dry and use a transparent, or semi transparent oil base deck stain on it. It might get some mildew in time, but the stain will help preserve and protect the wood.

 

[Racer4]

I'd make sure it's clean and dry and use a transparent, or semi transparent oil base deck stain on it. It might get some mildew in time, but the stain will help preserve and protect the wood.

Yes, clean with pressure washer and 2 coats of oil base stain semi transparent.

 

[FT92]

I'd go with Linseed oil.

just did my garage with linseed oil... T111 siding... and it looked like what you have ..did darken the grey areas . made it match the rest pretty close

 

[BISCUT]

Easy route, sprayer and Thompson's (or similar) to seal. Repeat every fall. I have a picnic table, benches, and 4 Adirondak chairs with 3 side tables to deal with this winter. I am going to use a Behr or Olympic sealer with a colo added to it.

 

[wpod]

Nothing will help the ground contact wood other than using pressure treated . the wood absorbs most of the moisture from the end grain.

 

[nthach]

Oil based stain or Thompson’s Water Seal(Olympic makes a similar product), which is really wax in stoddard solvent. If you use the latter, be prepared that any future paint/stain won’t stick unless that board is replaced.

 

[Propflux01]

I didn’t want to cover it with siding, was just looking for something to save (prolong) the wood. It’s a pole type concert floor shop, and wood helps hold back the gravel used underneath the concrete when they leveled it.

 

[SHOZ]

Antifreeze and borax, spray it on and let it soak it up

 

[demarpaint]

Nothing will help the ground contact wood other than using pressure treated . the wood absorbs most of the moisture from the end grain.

This is true. Since the job is already done, I gave the OP a viable alternative. Another option would have "been" cut all the lumber apply the stain to all the sides and then do the assembly, and re-coat the visible areas. Given a choice, pressure treated hands down would have been the best option. I found over the years stains seem to work the best for situations like this.

 

[doitmyself]

The OP states it IS pressure treated wood. The wood preservative chemicals are still in the wood. He seems to be concerned that the surface appearance degradation indicates that the pressure treatment is gone. It should not be gone, unless he got really bad pressure treated wood.

 

[wpod]

The OP states it IS pressure treated wood. The wood preservative chemicals are still in the wood. He seems to be concerned that the surface appearance degradation indicates that the pressure treatment is gone. It should not be gone, unless he got really bad pressure treated wood.

It doesn't look like pressure treated via the photos.

 

[DBMaster]

One of my neighbors posted on NextDoor couple of weeks ago that he was seeking used motor oil. I gave him a couple of gallons. When asked what purpose he had for it he said he was going to use it to seal his fence. I never heard of doing that, but if it works it sure would be inexpensive.

 

[PimTac]

One of my neighbors posted on NextDoor couple of weeks ago that he was seeking used motor oil. I gave him a couple of gallons. When asked what purpose he had for it he said he was going to use it to seal his fence. I never heard of doing that, but if it works it sure would be inexpensive.

Years ago we soaked fence posts in used motor oil. That fence is still standing. This was about 40 years ago.

 

[Boomer]

Sunlight slowly degrades wood. Unless you put a paint or coating on it that blocks UV light and are prepared to do this every two to three years, it will continue to worsen. That is why paint works so well. It blocks the light from degrading the wood fibers. Paint, siding or frequent treatment/replacement seem to me to be your only options.

 

[Propflux01]

It doesn't look like pressure treated via the photos.

It is. I watched it being built. It’s southern treated pine. My privacy fence is the same wood, and looks just as bad, I am replacing it so I’m not worried about it, but I gotta do something with the shop. Perhaps the paint and kilz is where I need to go, as much as I didn’t want paint.

 

[Donald]

Nothing will help the ground contact wood other than using pressure treated . the wood absorbs most of the moisture from the end grain.

There is pressure treated wood and ground contact pressure treated wood. You should have used ground contact PT wood.

Nothing will prevent the decay but oil based deck stain will make it look better.

Termites are a possibility once it starts to decay.