wood life as a decking

[Quebecnewf]

How much longer would one expect the decking of a large hauling slip to last if it was decked over with 3x6 green white oak as option 1 and a decking of 3x6 green birch and hard maple as option 2

Quebecnewf

[WH_Conley]

All I can tell is that around here 3" decking for bridges (white oak) will last about ten before rotting out, course that depends on the load. A heavy traveled bridge will last about 2 years on the runners, deck lasts longer. If no runners I do not beleive the life would be near as long. Would probably be beat to death befor it rotted.

This is all speculation, I have one county road dept that has 3 bridges, they just make orders about every 4 years for decking, every year or so for runners. We don't have the other species here.

That was not help at all, was it?

[Coon]

I have used white birch some.  For some uses you would do the fabricating dry.  But for this use I would  build with the green timbers and lumber and then let cure.  The cure is what takes the time.  Cure the built product to remove excess moisture out of the wood then seal it.  Look back to how birchbark canoes have been made for many years... My uncle did this on his "birch boat" that he built in the 80's.  He used an overlapping method over the framing to create the shell.  Even the frame was made of birch.  Everything was split by hand using splitting wedges.  It was also split as if you were quarter sawing it  Next it either went for bending material or straight material.  He worked on this project every evening and many weekends for4 two years or so.  Man is that a beauty of a boat, but it is very heavy.  It can take the waves on a large lake without a problem.   I can't recall what he has on it for an engine though.  I will see if I can get some pics of it.

[SwampDonkey]

I don't think birch and maple will last as long as w. ash or white oak. White oak will last longest. Grandfather used to use ash to deck the bridge here with, but the natives always lifted it before it had much of a chance to weather. They used to live in a couple shacks near the bridge, but over in Maine. The old bridge was on the international boundary. Dad and I got some used concrete culverts and replaced the bridge with those. No more problems.

[sprucebunny]

In the boatbuilding trade, green wh. oak is used for the keel and rudder.
Birch and maple aren't.

Hope this helps.

[Phorester]

WH, I'm surprised the natives didn't take the culverts, turn'em on end and use them for the shaft in the outhouse.  Too much work I reckon.

[Kevin]

One thing I always do is place a strip of tar paper or something similar full length on the deck stringers to prevent the decking from rotting on the bottom of the boards where the water sits between the deck boards.

[barbender]

Careful guys I'm a native and I work my #$% off and never take what ain't mine. Not that natives don't earn a bad reputation a lot of times. Just don't paint with too broad of a brush

[SwampDonkey]

barbender, I'm only speaking of what I know absolutely to be true. I suppose it would have sounded better to give names. I doubt grandfather new the names, but he and dad knew their neighbors names in Maine, the Smiths.

[barbender]

I know what you mean Swampdonkey, I see some real bad examples up here on a regular basis. I just want to make sure I don't get lumped together with them. I'm only 1/4 native and I don't look native at all, however my Dad is 1/2 and looks very native, and he has had to deal with plenty of discrimination in his life because of that- even though he is a hard working and honest person.  I have to be careful when writing that my tone isn't coming across as harsh or angry, I'm not offended in the least. I'm just reminding everyone we're in "mixed company" here . A few weeks ago I was training in for my winter job hauling wood, and the fellow training me, Ted, mentioned as we hauled a load through one of the local indian villages that he thought Indians were some of the worst people. So I nonchalantly told a story about hunting on the reservation because I am 1/4 native. The smile disappeared off of poor Ted's face and he said "I feel like a real a#@ now." I asked "how come, Ted?" He says "I'm over here saying Indians are the worst people and then you tell me you are one." I got a good chuckle out of the whole thing, he really didn't mean any harm, and some of them are the worst kind of people. I was just gently letting him know that I was one of those too, before he got himself into trouble

[Phorester]

Didn't mean to offend, Barbender.  To me, a native is simply a broad term for a local person, not a Native American.  No ethnicity implied.

[beenthere]

Phorester
Thanks for adding that, as it is what I assumed you meant too (and I suspect SD meant that as well).
I use the term 'native' to mean 'local' or like the recent thread using the term 'native lumber/timber'. I consider myself a native of this area, after being here just 50 years. Others might not think that, because I wasn't born here.

[barbender]

Sorry guys, around here "natives" means indians and "locals" means everybody else that lives here. I was kind of wondering if that was what you meant after I posted, my foot is getting tooth marks on it I been putting it in my mouth so much  . Maybe all this woodhauling is making me ornery