I’m looking for large, pressure treated timbers (ideally 8 X 12). Anybody know a dealer in Maryland, Northern Virginia or southern Pennsylvania that deals in stuff like this?
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Replies
You might try a manufacturer who specializes in piers and docks. There is one on Virginia's Northern Neck that I have gotten some big stuff from before. Wood Preservers Inc. Warsaw VA. The other option would be to have a mill custom cut your SYP timbers and see if you could not have a treating facility treat them for you. Bolt multiple pieces of common dimensional lumber together?
http://www.thomasnet.com/heading.html?cov=NA&what=Poles%3A+Wood&heading=62092002&searchpos=20&cid=355759&navsec=products
Good Luck, Jay
Quickstep,
why timbers that size?
I mean you could get a wood that was rot resitant like white oak if you are trying to prevent decay.. Be a ton cheaper.. For example local cost of a white oak timber that size would be $6.40 a foot. (currant price for custom milled white oak is 80 cents a bd.ft. a bd.ft. is 12inches by 12 inches by 1 inch thick..)
I'm making steps in a hill. I figured that a 8 X 12 would make a comfortable step. The current rotting timbers are 8 X 8. Because they're square, they can tend to roll under foot making for an unpleasant fall. If I were more energetic, I would build gravel filled boxes, but for this I'm looking for a quick and dirty solution. I'm also looking for MAJOR ease of installation as this is not my kind of job. Any thoughts on sources for white oak in those dimensions?
Quickstep..
white oak is extremely plentiful in just about every part of the country.. I don't know your local sawmills but The ones away from the city in smaller towns tend to be more reasonable in prices If you are really stumped you might contact woodmiser and ask for a list of their clients in your location (it's part of the service they offer when they sell their equipment..)
Since you intend to lay it directly on the ground and the wood will be green when you get it, I'd go ahead and slop a few coats of whatever color paint strikes your fancy. I'd suggest an oil based not a latex since you are in direct contact with the ground.. two coats on every side except the top. Four coats on the ends which absorbs moisture.. (ps if you paint it a soft grey it'll match the color the natural wood will weather to)..
The reason to leave the top open is that green wood has a lot of moisture in it.. you'll want all that moisture to leave and it will blow off paint trying to get out if it isn't dry..
Now it takes at least a year to dry out wood per inch of thickness. However since that wood is in direct contact with the gound I'd double the time before I painted the top.. or just leave the top unpainted and un slippery..
Edited 1/29/2007 10:26 am ET by frenchy
Don't know for sure, but you might try Mizell Lumber on Blair Ave in D.C. It's right at the edge of D.C. and Maryland. Blair and 2nd, I think. But I don't live there any more.
They should be able to check with their distributor. There is one really big lumber supplier that most of the lumber yards use.