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What if you don't use PT wood on concrete?


steveoutlaw

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I'm going to be building some stands for my equipment. The basement floor is concrete and I know you are supposed to use pressure treated wood on concrete. What happens if you don't??

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I'm going to be building some stands for my equipment. The basement floor is concrete and I know you are supposed to use pressure treated wood on concrete. What happens if you don't??

It doesn't last as long, especially if it gets wet. But nothing drastic or sudden will happen. You'll be fine.

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I'm going to be building some stands for my equipment. The basement floor is concrete and I know you are supposed to use pressure treated wood on concrete. What happens if you don't??

 

I wouldn't worry about it. I have had bare wood non-PT stands on the basement floor for years. Encrusted with salt creep, dead roaches that ate the salt, etc.

 

If I was worried, I would paint the stand with waterproof paint.

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You would be fine with regular wood for a stand as most of our stands are not permanent compared to regular house construction, unless you are Paul and your tank is going to be up for over 20 years.

 

Painting the wood before laying it down helps as would adding a closed cell foam underlayment between the cement and the wood. Both methods help to keep any moisture from the cement away from the wood. If you are enclosing the bottom plates like in a wall then I have seen them double wrapped in poly plastic sheeting and stapled on top as a vapor barrier.

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If you are enclosing the bottom plates like in a wall then I have seen them double wrapped in poly plastic sheeting and stapled on top as a vapor barrier.

 

I agree, but it would be a lot less headach to just get p/t.

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there are two big differences with PT wood and SPF wood....

1) PT wood will not rot near as quick will take like 40 years

2) PT wood will not grow any kind of mold if gotten wet

 

1) SPF wood will rot in about 20 years

2) SPF wood will grow all kinds of mold when kept in a wet inviorment

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^also add that the whole stand SHOULD NOT be made of PT. The chemicals in the PT would are quite toxic and can cause problems if they were to get into the water somehow (for example, if water dripped out of the top of the tank, down the glass, down the wood, where it sat for a bit before dripping into the sump).

 

I would rather deal with painting than PT wood.

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tooth,

let us hear more about them dead roaches.

Ya think the salt killed em?

also, what in tarnations might the "etc" be?

 

 

Hm...they might have been killed by the salt or possibly by me mashing them with a stick.

 

I like to pile them up around my stand to let the other roaches know to stay away. Maybe I will cut off a couple of their heads and mount them on tiny pikes.

 

 

About the etc...

I once actually did find a dead mouse near my stand after there had been a bit of a leak onto the cement floor. Possibly he drank the salt water and died?

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I would not worry about the wood rotting or becoming moldy unless the floor is damp. If your concerned about it, you could add a piece of composit decking lumber under the stand or a type of wood that resists mold and decay such as cedar or ipe. Another option is to paint the cement under the stand with a sealer or paint designed to seal basement and garage floors. There are lots of options other than bringing PT lumber into your living areas.

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Oh wait, I didn't realize this was Steve's post!

 

Don't worry about it Steve. It takes at least two months before the wood gets moldy or begins to rot. You have nothing to worry about!

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