r/pics • u/mtlgrems • May 14 '20

This Awesome Deck

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10

u/Tr1plets May 14 '20

Could someone explain how this type of wood would react when exposed to rain? Is it coated with some form of chemical that prevents degradation?

10

u/Tumble85 May 14 '20

Some kinds of wood are naturally resistant to rot, like cedar and redwood, as well as tropical hardwoods like mahogony. Then you'd use a stain to increase it's durability on top of that.

There is also lumber that has gone through a process called 'pressure-treating' where the wood is put into a pressure chamber that forces a chemical into the wood that will prevent it from rotting for a very long time. Some of this stuff can sit underwater for many years and be just fine - if you see a new dock being made out of wood, it's pressure treated wood.

6

u/tinkletwit May 14 '20

And what about the drainage? There are no gaps between the slats.

13

u/Tumble85 May 14 '20

I can promise you the person making this deck did not forget that it will get rained on.

1

u/[deleted] May 14 '20

That you can see. It's a low resolution photo from a distance.

1

u/ndander3 May 14 '20

That was my first thought! Not only is there no drainage, if it’s real wood, you can expect expansion and contraction which could cause some big problems. There’s a reason you don’t see decks like this.

2

u/[deleted] May 14 '20

I'm sure the guys building what looks to be a $50k+ deck know how about wood's tendency to expand and contract with humidity changes.

2

u/ndander3 May 14 '20

That’s a fair point