Building Projects With Heat Treated Wood

By Author: Stevan Gerrand
Total Articles: 53
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For centuries, people have been building things with wood, but the problem was always the same. Wood tends to rot and must be replaced often. It also burns very easily, so fires were extremely common in towns a few centuries ago.

However, about a half century ago, people discovered that when they treated wood with heat, most of these problems were avoided. The life of the wood was extended and it became naturally more durable. This opened up the door for easy building projects anyone can do without concerns that the wood will need to be replaced in a year or two.

Whenever you build something that you want to last a long time, treated wood is the answer because it resists rot and termites. There are numerous projects you can build with treated wood, including:
• Retaining walls – Wood retaining walls add natural beauty to any space, help get rid of steep slopes that must be mowed, and stop erosion in your yard. Heat treated wood is the perfect material for this project because using heat to treat lumber darkens it naturally without the use of stain. You will be able to create a beautiful retaining ...
... wall to give better form and function to your yard. By using standard size pieces and cutting them to the space, a retaining wall made of wood is much easier and faster to install than a complicated one made of bricks or stone.

• Fences – It is very common to find fence panels that are made from treated wood, but it is easy and often much cheaper to build your own fence panels. Spend a few moments examining the fence panels available and then go to your yard and measure. You will likely find that it is much less expensive to create your own panels, and it won’t take you that much longer to do this than it would if you purchased panels that are already assembled.

• Decks – Treated wood is the perfect material to use for decking because untreated wood will crack, warp, and look unsightly after just a few years. You have many concerns when working with untreated wood because it tends to rot and attract termites. However, heat treatment dries the wood out so that it absorbs less than 50 percent of the water it would have before heat treatment. The heating of the lumber also changes the chemical properties of the wood in such a way that it is resistant to fungi that tend to cause rotting, thus making it much more durable so that you are able to build decks that will look beautiful for many years to come with very little work.

• Planters – Wood is a very natural product that fits in well with most landscapes. When you use heat treated lumber to build planters, you get wood that is naturally darker and looks somewhat aged so that it blends in with the landscaping better. Build large planters in the front of your home for flowers or use them in back for a vegetable garden that will keep your dog out without harsh chicken wire.

So start looking around your yard to see what you can do. Almost anyone can build something beautiful with high quality lumber that has been treated. When you can trust that your work will still be around years from now, suddenly those building projects you have been putting off seem like an even better idea because you know they will have long lasting results.

Boone Valley is one trusted hardwood lumber supplier. Their products services customers nationwide, and are the only supplier you need for all types of heat treated lumber for export.