Building a fence from fresh milled lumber

[BMan2005]

The comments are great. Yes I live in South east Georgia and it's a very humid climate here. I'll stack and sticker it outside in the sun a few weeks then cover it allowing ventilation. I'll hold off on putting it up until June- July to allow plenty of time to dry then immediately apply a few coats of home brewed treating the old school way. Thanks guys

 

[EddieWalker]

I would not use untreated pine on anything outdoors in the South. It's not worth the effort and time to install it with such a short life expectancy. Spending money protecting it is also a waste because there is nothing that you can put on it that will last.

 

[/pine]

Most sawmill owners around here (myself included) only cover the tops and the top foot or so of the sides on stacked/stickered lumber...
Tarps or plastic tend to draw ants, rats and mice...
It best to get it to 15%-20% before sealing/painting...
The only thing between a lot of pine and poplar etc. clapboard, ship lap siding etc., etc...and rot is paint...

 

[s219]

A lot of the horse farms near me make their fences with fresh sawn green wood for the horizontal slats, usually oak or poplar. The only comment I've heard is that the boards can really warp as they dry in place, since they are only nailed on the ends. One of the benefits of drying lumber stickered in a stack is that it's held flat while it dries, so warping is minimized.

 

[tcreeley]

I like oil based stain for lumber outside to protect it. Latex just sits on the surface and peels. Oil based stain soaks in, and you can also stain on top of it without having to deal with peeling.
Creosote the boards if looks don't matter.