Touching Up Holes in Pressure-Treated Lumber
Use bolts dipped in wood preservative to coat drill holes and prevent rot.
When building a deck, you often have to drill holes in pressure-treated wood for bolts or wires. The best practice is to apply a wood preservative to the inside of the holes to prevent rot, the same way you apply preservative to end grain after making a cut. You could go out and buy a number of tiny paintbrushes to coat the inside of the holes, but I use bolts.
I dip the threaded end of one of the bolts I plan to use in the preservative and coat the inside of a hole with it. The threads do a great job of picking up the preservative and depositing it on the wood as you move the bolt along the inside wall of the hole. Because you drilled the hole just for that bolt, it’s the perfect size and right at your fingertips.
—Dayle Hogg, Toronto, None
Edited by Charles Miller
From Fine Homebuilding #238
