BIG TEX DECK REPLACEMENT

[weldingisfun]

Eddie,

Once you take the old boards out, measure the length and cut the boards minus 1/2 in. About 2/3 of the deck boards will slide in easy. When the boards starts to bind, trim off opposing corners, and they will slide in. On the last 2 or 3 boards, cut the boards to length minus 1 in. Then with some help, make a pry board and wedge, put the top end in place, and and stand on the other end with a sledge, as the pry board is raised high enough, the board you are standing on will slide in. A crowbar might be useful to guide it in place. You can also get a number of smaller pieces of the same width to see how many boards you will need. If you space them out just so, you might get by with full width boards, if not. use a 2X4 or rip another board to size.
I would then put a good seal coat on the boards or paint them, or some have even used old oil to seal. You could also replace the boards with diamond plate steel, although more expensive.

Be careful of the amount you cut, unless your boards are completely dry you will have some shrinkage.

 

[john_bud]

The PT wood will last, but if you give the wood a good coat with old engine oil / hydraulic fluid it will probably last as long or longer.

Around here, we just use rough cut oak and oil coat. It helps to have acres of oak, a buddy with a saw mill and gallons of old oil....

jb

 

[Soundguy]

Be kind to the environment.. i like fresh water to drink!!!

Use a asphalt fence paint.. plenty of protection.. real friendly to the environment compaired to wadte oil bath...

soundguy

 

[nickel plate]

A couple of things, while selecting the new lumber to replace the old deck, check both ends of the boards for "bulls eyes". You do not want to see them as they are sawn from the absolute center of the tree and are the most reactive to split, warp and crawl from where they are placed. The further away from the tree's center, the more docile the piece.
In most cases when you have a pressure treated wood deck, there will be no evidence of the board being "insized" (SP?) this meaning that the board has been run through a perferating machine which allows a lot more pressurized chemical penetration. If you do not have the noticeable insizing/pin pricks on your deck, the chemical treatment is not grade stamped and will only be treated to a pressureized "refusal" level, not nearly as good as normal lumber yard insized PT stock. Do also note that any PT process really beats up the wood fiber and therefore deems it for strictly non-structural use sill plate yet here it is spanning 16" to 24" o.c.!

 

[gumshu]

About how many years down the line are you guys replacing these boards... age? I have a 2008 70CH and was wondering if I should change out the boards in another 3 yrs or so. After buying it, I was pretty disappointed with the overall quality of the workmanship.

 

[mojoinco]

I re-did my trailer a couple of years ago. The torx screws sucked -- all were rusted in place. I like the idea of hole sawing around them. I used 2x6 or 2x8 and just ripped the last one down (not too much of an AR type, so I didn't do two of them and put them at the ends). I couldn't find replacement torx locally (torx heads are pretty good driving sockets), so bought large phillips heads. I like the screwed on 2x6 idea. That board I would use the treated one. Don't seal up the bottom side of your wood, or you will end up holding more moisture than you want to. And look at the end grain. Flip the board so that it makes a frown. Will not bow up at the edges, and will tend to have water migrate out (instead of running into the center).

Gumshu, it's about the condition of the wood. And the humidity. Atascadero is pretty dry (don't know where in Oregon that is). The hardest part seems to be getting good wood. If you replace it, look at harder grades (at least Douglas Fir).

 

[Soundguy]

About how many years down the line are you guys these boards... age? I have a 2008 70CH and was wondering if I should change out the boards in another 3 yrs or so. After buying it, I was pretty disappointed with the overall quality of the workmanship.

change em when needed.. not based on an arbitrary amount of time.

I changed the ones on my 2000 trailer in 2001.. and they are just now showing signs that they will need a replacement in the next couple years..

of course.. after replacement.. I used asphalt paint and painted then a couple times.. that makes am last for a while..

soundguy

 

[gumshu]

Thanks guys