Any way to get away with installing green oak on a deck?

[alan gage]

I'm building a small cabin (10x12) with a 6' deck and it look like I'll be using white (bur) oak for the deck surface. I've got some nice 2" oak that's already dry but it's pretty nice stuff and I don't have enough of it. But I've got plenty of logs that I can cut up.

But is there anyway I can install those green boards without it turning into a disaster? I envision heavy checking and cupped boards. The only thing I can think of that might work would to be stain the boards right after installation to slow down drying on the exposed face. The stain would be a semi-solid oil stain (Cabot).

The deck faces east and is covered so it only gets sun until late morning. It's been hot and dry this summer and I doubt that will change much in the next month.

Thoughts?

Alan

[Tom King]

I built one, like that, when I first built our house, in 1980.  Was young, and poor then, and green, rough cut Oak was a hundred bucks a thousand.  Checking, and warping wasn't too bad.  It lasted about 8 years.

That deck has been treated wood since then, and that one hasn't needed to be replaced yet.

[farmfromkansas]

I would use it, but if you oil it once it is dry will last a lot longer.  My dad had a Chevy pickup with a wood floor, he oiled that floor every time he changed oil.  I got the truck after Dad passed on, and had it till the undercarriage failed.  Floor was still good, and I never oiled it once. 

[alan gage]

Thanks for the replies. Raided the wood stash last night and found more dry white oak than I expected. It's pretty ugly stuff (that I didn't saw) so I resawed a bunch of it last night to get straight and flat boards. Might have enough to do the whole deck. If not I'll fill in with green where needed. It will be screwed down so if boards need to be replaced sooner rather than later it won't be the end of the world.

Alan

[barbender]

I would expect green to check more, and cup maybe if wide. If you keep them to 6" they should be fine. Tom King, that must've been red oak to only last 8 years?

[Tom King]

No.  It was White Oak.  I didn't put anything on it.  It's under a huge Oak canopy, and less than a foot off the ground, so when it got wet, it probably took longer than about anywhere else to dry out.  All the White Oak siding is still fine, and hard as a rock.

Back in the late '70's, into the mid '80's, I used White Oak Board & Board siding on houses I built, as well as our barn built in 1980.  I just pressure wash ours about every 10 years.  The ones that never had anything put on them are all still good.  Ones that the owners stained with thick stain, or put paint on, have had a few boards to rot underneath the coating.  I think water got under there, and couldn't get out.

[barbender]

That's interesting. I have to build a deck (my wife says😁) and I was considering using bur oak. It will be 4' off the ground and be covered, so I expect it will last nearly forever like that. I have a GN trailer I decked with but oak about 15 years ago, it sits out in the open and is weathered but solid.

[Sedgehammer]

I would use it, but if you oil it once it is dry will last a lot longer.  My dad had a Chevy pickup with a wood floor, he oiled that floor every time he changed oil.  I got the truck after Dad passed on, and had it till the undercarriage failed.  Floor was still good, and I never oiled it once.

a friend had installed a flat bed on his pickup and needed some side boards and an end gate. We bought some rough cut pine boards and after we built the sides we motor oiled it twice. That was 30 years ago. He scrapped the truck 2 years ago and the side boards were still good

[Magicman]

To reduce cupping install the boards with the pith side up and bark side down.  That way any cupping will force the edges downward.

[Don P]

If the moisture content is the same on both sides of the board. With the sun on one side and ground on the other that is often not the case.

[moodnacreek]

Green oak decking boards?  They must be quarter sawn and narrow, go back and tighten screws next summer.

[Magicman]

If the moisture content is the same on both sides of the board.

The word is "if".  Maybe not "often the case" but why take a chance?  Natural cupping is against the growth rings.  Wanna see the porch boards on my Cabin and also the boards on the pier?  I'll continue to put the "smile" up and out when installing decking and siding.  ;D

[barbender]

In my somewhat limited experience, I've had a couple of boards cup "backwards", but the vast majority cup towards the bark.

[moodnacreek]

In my somewhat limited experience, I've had a couple of boards cup "backwards", but the vast majority cup towards the bark.

That rule only works on paper.

[alan gage]

Well I had to scrape the bottom of the barrel but was able to find enough dry oak to do the deck. They were ugly boards that started out anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3" thick and I resawed  them down to 1 3/8". Had to use a couple pieces of red oak to finish it off so I guess it will be a good comparison. Stained it all as soon as it was down.

As for the smile going up/down I did smile up when I felt I had a choice but my first priority was putting water sucking large knots and cracks down.









Alan

[Tom King]

That should last fine.  Here, a deck doesn't have a roof over it.  If it has a roof over it, it's called a Porch.

[Percy]

Well I had to scrape the bottom of the barrel but was able to find enough dry oak to do the deck. They were ugly boards that started out anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3" thick and I resawed  them down to 1 3/8". Had to use a couple pieces of red oak to finish it off so I guess it will be a good comparison. Stained it all as soon as it was down.

As for the smile going up/down I did smile up when I felt I had a choice but my first priority was putting water sucking large knots and cracks down.









Alan

Sweeet!!!