How to treat my pile of 60 year old weathered fence boards 4" x 6'?
by
Rod Hamilton
+8
I want to use them for a headboard and maybe barn slider door for a closet. But my wife is concerned with all manner of creepies showing up in the bedroom....not a pleasant idea cause we have a small terrier size dog house. How do I treat them before bring the boards into the warmth of the house? I bake pine cones but I don't have a bagel oven.
Thanks
Rod Hamilton. The east side of the Rocky Mountains in western Canada.
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I would put them in a heavy duty plastic garbage bag and give it a good spray of insecticide. Close it up and let sit for a week. Then check to see if there is any activity.
I would be more concerned with the fumes from insecticide which would permeate the wood and the bedroom so I don't think I would go that route. Depending on how rough the wood is I would take a good brush to each board (all sides) and then give them a light wash to remove any dust and/or creepy remains (I hate spiders and bugs). You might want to lightly sand any rough spots so you don't have a splinter problem. Then I would bring them into the garage to let them thoroughly dry. Once your project is completed you might want to put a sealer or wax on the wood. Good luck!
How about a heat gun? That would kill any vermin and their eggs. It also depends on what kind of wood it is. Something like Cedar, bugs shouldn't be a problem. If the wood has been treated, you might not want to bring it in the house.
This is a good tutorial for how to clean it-http://livingvintageco.com/2014/08/tutorial-clean-reclaimed-wood/
If the wood was pressure treated it will give up fumes that could be harmful.
You could coat them in a layer of flat varnish or varathane if that is the look you want.
I would not use pressure treated wood inside of my home, the pesticide that is most commonly used for pressure treating is known as Chromated Copper Arsenate (CAA) – a compound that contains arsenic (rat poison). Why not build a potting bench or outdoor bench since you already have the wood that is safe to use outside?
Thanks for the info