I regularly get questions about staining pressure treated lumber so here are some answers to as many of those questions as I can think of now. Before you read on, understand that staining or painting pressure treated lumber is just like staining untreated lumber. The main thing is that the wood needs to be clean and dry.

Can I stain pressure treated lumber?
Yes. You can stain pressure treated lumber as long as the wood is dry.

Why do I have to wait before staining pressure treated lumber?
The pressure treating process involves using a water-based solution to carry the treatment chemicals into the fibers of the lumber while under pressure. The process leaves the wood wet. If you want wood that is already dry, purchase KDAT lumber (KDAT = Kiln Dried After Treatment). KDAT is usually #1 and, yes, it costs more.

What are the consequences of staining pressure treated wood before it’s dry?
The stain or paint will probably bubble a little AND locking moisture into the wood might create a great place for fungus or rot to take hold and destroy some boards.

How long should I wait (allow the wood to dry) before staining pressure treated lumber?
It depends (of course). In a sunny, hot, and windy climate where it never rains your pressure treated lumber will probably be dry in a few weeks. In a cold and muggy climate (Seattle, for instance) it will take months for your wood to dry.

Some professionals recommend building whatever you are building and waiting about six months before staining pressure treated lumber. Then, stain the lumber after a few weeks of warm sunny weather. This is long enough for the wood to stabilize and for the water from treatment to evaporate. Remember to sweep and/or dust before applying the stain or paint.

Read further to learn about drying lumber yourself…

What kind of stain should I use for pressure treated lumber?
There are many stains and paints on the market. My favorites are based on working with lumber yards and seeing results from Consumer Reports. So, I like Cabot and Wolman brands. Many people thing Thompsons is the best because their marketing is the best. Many professionals completely disagree with the idea that Thompsons is any good at all. I am not saying anything about it – I’m just sayin’. The choice between water-based and oil-based stains is up to you. Read the backs of the cans. Back to staining pressure treated wood…

How should I stain pressure treated lumber? Or, how should I apply the stain?
Read the can because it varies with some stains but most stains can be applied with a brush, sprayer, or sponge. You will probably find a sprayer to be the easiest method.

How can I speed up the lumber drying process and stain my lumber sooner?
The best way is to buy kiln dried lumber (KDAT) in the first place. If you don’t want to do that…

You can dry lumber yourself but you need to be concerned about warping.

Ideally, you should stack the lumber on “sticks”, in the same way wood is stacked for kiln drying, and then strap the bundle to keep in straight. To do this, place a few small (1×1 or 2×2) sticks between each layer of lumber (perpendicular to the lumber and spaced about 3 feet apart) allowing for air flow between the layers. Then wrap a few straps around the lumber and make them tight. This allows air to reach all sides of the lumber while applying pressure to the lumber and minimizing the chance of warping. Warping is caused by the movement of moisture in and out of wood. You need to stabilize/support the wood while it dries. To take it to another level, point a box fan (or two) at the side of the bundle to speed up the flow of air across the lumber. If you set this up in your garage or some dry covered area your lumber will probably be adequately dry in a few weeks.

Should I stain pressure treated lumber yearly?
The answer is simple and goes something like this. If you want your deck/gazebo/arbor/whatever to look better for longer you should stain it on a yearly, or regular, basis. Of course, putting a protective stain or other coating on wood will make it last longer and look better while it lasts.

Staining pressure treated lumber is not rocket science. In fact, there is nothing remotely complicated about it but it does take time and if you don’t do it properly, you’ll mess it all up. If I did not make this point obvious enough above then let me say it again here:

Treated wood must be dry before you stain or paint it.

Enjoy your project. Wear gloves. Wear goggles. Be careful with tools. Work in ventilated areas.

Wood bridges offer ways of crossing natural settings with structures that fit the surroundings.? Although wood bridges are not practical for every application they are perfect for many – affordable, simple, durable, and beautiful.

Affordable:? Depending on the design, wood bridges can be built for as little as 1/3 the cost of steel and concrete bridges and have lower maintenance costs as well. Building wood bridges over crossings might be a great way for landowners and small municipalities to save money as well as add aesthetic value to their byways.

Simple:? Many practical wood bridge designs require less skilled labor (no welders or concrete workers and smaller equipment) to assemble and less time than steel and concrete bridges.? Simplicity equates to a savings of time and money.

Durable:? Effectively designed and constructed wood bridges should easily last 50 years and there are many that have been in services for much longer than that. Wood treatments and coatings available today should protect the foundational structure of a bridge so it will last virtually forever.

Materials for Wood Bridges

Like any project, wood bridges will last longer when built with three major components in mind.

• Quality Design
• Quality Materials
• Quality Construction

We will focus on quality materials for wood bridges here.? You can buy bridge plans or have yours custom engineered and you can hire a bridge building company, local contractor, or build the bridge yourself with the proper design and instructions.

Use properly treated wood for your bridge components, especially for the pilings and other foundation materials.? .60 pcf treated wood should be sufficient for most locations but if you are building around saltwater, you should probably use a stronger treatment for the foundation components – especially if the bridge will actually be in contact with saltwater.

To add longevity to your bridge use poly coated wood like the stuff from American Pole And Timber (they also have a full line of bridge timbers and bridge decking) for all of the ground contact components.? It is sprayed onto treated wood before installation and provides an extra layer of protection that should easily add another 25 years to the wood (at least). It actually bonds to the wood but you can still cut, nail, or drill into it.? It is really good stuff – initially designed for use on saltwater marine pilings (where is has a 25 year warranty).

Your wood bridge’s hardware should all be stainless steel, galvanized, or zinc coated.? There are other special hardware coatings out there but stainless, galvanized, and zinc are proven and affordable.

Plans for Wood Bridges

Buy Wood Bridge Plans Online:? There are numerous places to buy wood bridge plans online – so many, that I will not even link to them here.

Bridge Plans from Competition:? Here are some great bridge designs and plans I found recently. It is a wood bridge building competition for University-level engineering students. “The? National Timber Bridge Design Competition? is open to student chapters of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and Forest Products Society (FPS) in the United States and Canada. Joint or cooperative entries (ASCE and FPS working together) are eligible and even encouraged. A chapter may also submit multiple entries.”

The young folks in this competition come up with some creative, effective, and practical designs for wood bridges.? You might be able to apply a few of them to your wood bridges. Note:? That is not a suggestion to copy the designs or use them directly as reliable and tested plans but there are some great ideas there.

Book about How to Build Wood Bridges:? This is a really nice book that has some designs and plans for building wood bridges as well as plans for building other wood projects.

Wood bridges can certainly be built as a diy project. Please make sure you have your bridge professionally designed, though, or at least hire a professional contractor to help you. Using the right materials will not only improve the safety of your structure but will ensure that your bridge will be long-lasting as well. Wood bridges should be built to last – they should stand as legacies to be used for generations to come. That might sound nostalgic or something but, well, I guess it is.