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What kind of wood doesn't rot outside?

Cedar, redwood, cypress and other naturally rot-resistant woods are often hailed as the premier choice when building outside structures like decks, arbors or saunas. ... Naturally Rot-Resistant Species: Redwood. American mahogany. Cypress. Western red cedar. Pacific yew. Teak. Black walnut. White oak. More items...

cabinlife.com - Help Your Rot-Resistant Lumber Last Longer - Cabin Life
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Western Red Cedar Lumber Association

The cedar used to build this deck is naturally resistant to rot, but it still needs a varnish clearcoat with UV protection every 1–2 years. Typically, darker tint stains provide more UV resistance. Cedar, redwood, cypress and other naturally rot-resistant woods are often hailed as the premier choice when building outside structures like decks, arbors or saunas. They have beautiful color and grain, are often aromatic, and their chemical structure can make them immune to insect and fungal pests. However, naturally resistant wood species are not guaranteed to last any longer than pressure- or green-treated lumber. Here are some ways to help ensure your natural, beautiful and expensive wood lasts for decades, not years.

Buy Heartwood

Key point: Any of these woods, whether teak, oak, cypress, cedar or redwood, is not uniformly rot-resistant. The outer wood, called sapwood, often has minimal or non-existent rot-resistance properties. The darker heartwood has the good stuff in it – organic materials commonly referred to as extractives. With today’s increased demand for wood and more sensitive harvesting practices, much of the lumber now available is actually a mix of sapwood and heartwood. If you want wood that’s truly rot-resistant, you’ll have to pony up; heartwood can cost four times more than standard grade.

Not Maintenance-Free

I can still remember the luster of my new split-rail cedar fence. It looked fabulous, smelled like heaven … and within a year had faded to a dull gray fence that smelled like nothing much at all. Without preservative, rot-resistant woods are not going to hold up to sunlight and rain, regardless of quality. At a minimum, apply a varnish clearcoat with UV resistance every 1–2 years. In many cases, the sun’s UV rays will still come through the clearcoat and break down the colors of the wood, bleaching the pretty red and browns into a dull gray. To combat this, apply an oil-based, UV-resistant stain.

See also: Designing for a Low-Maintenance Home

Watch the Ends

Natural woods can have a distinct advantage over pressure-treated wood, which is typically only treated on the outside (this is why pressure-treated lumber is sometimes observed to have “rotted from the inside out”). Heartwoods of natural rot-resistant species are uniform in their resistance. However, the ends of the boards can be particularly vulnerable to stress from drying and moisture; dabbing the ends with sealer can further extend the life of your boards.

Beat Mother Nature to the Punch

The best part? These products not only beautify natural wood, but also provide low-maintenance, long-lasting protection against sun and rain.

Naturally Rot-Resistant Species:

Redwood

American mahogany

Cypress

Western red cedar

Pacific yew

Teak

Black walnut

White oak

Juniper

See also: The Complete Guide to Log Cabin Finishes

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homedepot.com - 15/32 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. ACX Radiata Pine Sanded Plywood Panel

Disappointed in overall product. My mistake was ordering lumber on line without going to the stor... Disappointed in overall product. My mistake was ordering lumber on line without going to the store and picking out the pieces desired. Upon unbanning the sheets of plywood I found edge damaged where the banding was and at least half the sheets were warped. Fortunately my project dimensions allowed for those sheets with edge damage to be trimmed. For the warped pieces, they were used (based on my cut list) for drawer sides/bottoms/supports/etc. Sections of these sheets had to be discarded due to the warp. The panels did have a nice smooth face on one side and the other that was not sanded was fairly smooth as well. Each panel was square making cutting panels down easier. The price of the panels were considerable better than other local ig box stores. The banding marks and warped panels created lots more work. But, overall project has turned out fairly well. Will buy this product again. But, will go to the store to pick out.

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