Replies

1. 
   jcallahan | Aug 20, 1999 08:00pm | #1

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   I don't know how seasoned your beams are, but I believe I'd stay away from polyurethane and paint, too. If the moisture content is not low enough, you will have problems (blisters, peeling etc.). You can add mildewicide to the stain which may offer some additional protection. I'd pay attention to the way water runs off the roof ......if the runoff falls directly on on a beam or wall, there will be problems.

1. 
   JRS | Aug 21, 1999 12:50am | #2

   *I recently installed copper caps on a house whose main beams stuck out from the main roof. It was about 30 yrs. old and the cedar beams had been stained over the years. They were weathering pretty bad on the top side only, so she wanted them capped over(but the cap had to be inconspicuous), so I made them from copper and only put a 3/4" bend on them. She didn't like the "shiny penny" look, and was too impatient to let them weather, so I had to paint them over. Yuck.John

1. 
   jim_"crazy_legs"_blodg | Aug 21, 1999 01:02am | #3

   *John - I've always heard horse urine will age copper quickly, if you ever run into that situation again. - jb

1. 
   JRS | Aug 21, 1999 02:05am | #4

   *Jim- You know, I don't doubt you for a second, but I'll never personaly confirm that! I'll call my friends who own horses and tell them they might be pissin' away a potentially marketable commodity. Thanks for making me LOL!John

1. 
   rdiehl | Sep 07, 1999 03:39am | #5

   *I have read that it is best to wait at least 6 months before applying ANY wood finisher---paint, stain etc. You must let the wood "season" otherwise you may trap some of the moisture inside and it may rot from the inside out. Pine has a slick surface when new, but even after a few years old I find it difficult to accept stain.hth,ron

2. 
   tbutler_ | Sep 20, 1999 08:12am | #6

   *Jim, How do you get the horse on the roof?

3. 
   Joe_Duncan | Sep 22, 1999 08:36pm | #7

   *Hello RD,Could you please provide the reference for that. I strongly suspect that no author would put such a general kibosh on painting `unseasoned wood'. When was the last time you heard of a builder saying to the home buyer and the bank that they'd come back next year to paint the house. High moisture content is normal in beams from most commercial sources and does present some problems for painting. A truly pond dried beam can be stained when new and painted months or years later.Joe

4. 
   JRS | Sep 23, 1999 07:08am | #8

   *And even if you do get the horse on the roof, I've always heard "You can lead a horse to copper, but you can't make him piss.".......or something like that.John

5. 
   jim_"crazy_legs"_blodg | Sep 23, 1999 08:13am | #9

   *I've always thought you might get one up there with a sh*t eatin' pig and 12 angry geese! But I could be wrong. - jb

6. 
   nmarkey | Oct 21, 1999 07:52am | #10

   *Actually, I've been told that human urine will change copper too. I just might try this on my next project involving copper flashing and whatnot. Good thing I have a lot of trees out behind my shop, that could be hard to explain on a job site. - Nick Markey

2. 
   Don_Grimsley | Oct 21, 1999 07:52am | #11

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   I'm building a craftsman style home in N.C. (read: Scorching heat, but at least it's humid...) Putting a dozen or so 6x8 fir beams in the front, and a lot of exposed beams under the eaves around the house. Roof decking is T&G pine. How do I keep this wood healthy for a long time? Is a high quality stain enough? Should I use some "marine grade" polyureathane (sp.) on top of that? Help me out guys! Sincerely, Don