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I have made two sets of exterior stairs, and have had really bad luck with the stringers splitting both times.
The first time I used pressure treated (green) 2×12 (the guy at the lumber yard says this is Douglas fir, but I can’t recognize it).
The second time I used con heart redwood 2×12. This split worse than the P.T. wood did. Both sets of stairs have all sorts of sistered (glued-and-screwed) patches on the stringers. I hate it.
The guy at the lumber yard says to use clear Doug fir (“but I thought you said the pressure treated 2×12 was Doug fir,” sez me. No answer)
In any case, nothing but redwood or P.T. will survive here more than a few seasons without being totally eaten by bugs. All I can think of is to paint the Doug fir and give that a try, but this set of stairs is to a redwood deck and the stringers will be visible. What’s the solution?
thanks.
Replies
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I have made two sets of exterior stairs, and have had really bad luck with the stringers splitting both times.
The first time I used pressure treated (green) 2x12 (the guy at the lumber yard says this is Douglas fir, but I can't recognize it).
The second time I used con heart redwood 2x12. This split worse than the P.T. wood did. Both sets of stairs have all sorts of sistered (glued-and-screwed) patches on the stringers. I hate it.
The guy at the lumber yard says to use clear Doug fir ("but I thought you said the pressure treated 2x12 was Doug fir," sez me. No answer)
In any case, nothing but redwood or P.T. will survive here more than a few seasons without being totally eaten by bugs. All I can think of is to paint the Doug fir and give that a try, but this set of stairs is to a redwood deck and the stringers will be visible. What's the solution?
thanks.