Preserving wood on a flatbed trailer

Should I pressure washe and use Thompson water seal or is there something better?

Thanks in advance.

Thompsons ??? ... There are better brands out there rather than Thgompsons.

Pressure treated lumber is probably the best. Painted would OK if you could make sure it had a non-slip finish. Personally, I prefer Thompson's water seal for outdoor wood.

As far as the EPA and other government agencies, I agree that sometimes it seems they're a bunch of desk jockeys that go totally overboard. However, in the case of used oil, I would tend to agree with the regs. Yes, a gallon here or there isn't likely to hurt anything, but you never know for sure. Plus, if you dump a few gallons a year, and your neighbors all dump a few gallons a year, pretty soon you've got the makings of a problem. Like smog from autos, each one makes only a trivial impact, but with a bunch together there's a significant impact.

Most places that sell oil will take used oil for free. I've got a couple of old metal jerry cans I collect it in, & when they get full I just take them the next time I need to go to the auto parts store. I'd prefer to burn it & recover some of the initial cost as heat for my shop, but so far I don't think its financially justified.

Keith

Boiled linseed oil isn't as cheap as it used to be, but it works well. If I was really concerned about it getting slick, I would toss some fine sand onto the wet oil before it dries.

I also park my trailer with the front end up in the air so rain runs off the deck. Wish it was a tilt deck, but maybe my next trailer will be.

Used oil contains heavy metals and other toxic compounds.. these compounds, as wella s the oil leach out of the wood and onto the ground.. and eventually into the water you drink. 2 tablespoons of oil can contaminate 2000 gallons of potable water.

besides.. there are better ways to preserve that have -MUCH- less impact on the environment. You can use fence coatings.. like copper napthenate, and black asphalt fence paint.. or even the new latex fence paint.

The first deck on my 16' trailer rotted after 2 years. The next deck I put on, i painted the wood with asphalt fence paint. Has been fine for over 4 years now... and the solvated bituminous portion o fthe paint is more or less environmentally inert once the volatiles leave.

So for all of you 'point source' poluters.. do us a favor.. quit poisoning everybody...

By the way.. if you want to find out the amount of fine, or the amount of jail time you can get for pouring that stuff on the ground.. hit the EPA website.. there are case studies and other tidbits of data. Free meals , room and board, and all the soap on a rope you can handle in prison.. so go for it!.. at least the environmnet will be safe(er) for a while..

( tree-hugging mode off )

Soundguy

Also.. refering to another comment... crude oil deposits naturally occouring underground is not an 'apples to apples' comparison to the refined product we see as motor oil.. and even farther away from used motor oil.

As for your reference to municipalities 'spraying crude oil' on streets and roads.. I believe you are mistaken. While I have hear of 'ancient history'.. I E stuff from the 50's.. etc, spraying motor oil down.. in recent history, 2 different products are used. One is calle dprime or tack coat.. it is a special asphalt emulsion.. a bituminous material mixed and heated with water... it is environmentally inert / stable once cooled and dehydrated. There is also a special 'dust control' oil that many road depts use, especially rural runways. The GC I work for have handled bids for dust controll oils.. and I can assure yuo DOT spec book does not call for used motor oil.. nor is it 'crude' oil.. which is the unrefined base stock.. etc. We are handling dust control for a large housing project in citrus county florida right now.. again.. no crude oil or motor oil. If you want an MSDS on the dust control oil, look up EA Marianie Asphalt company in florida, and request a MSDS on 'Special MS" and also one of their dust control products... ( no crude oil.. or used motor oil.. etc.. )

Every time we do a big road job, we get dozens of 'uninformed' residents calling and 'reporting' us to DEP for 'oiling' the streets with what they think is 'tar' or used motor oil.. only to be told that it is a different product entirely... etc.

Soundguy

( Not that it is relevant.. but this was a fema contract... I think you will find that 'many' laws are suspended during a declared emergency... again.. this was not 'protected' wetlands.. just a cow pasture in a wet part of the county...

I can't help but say that your comment sounds like it was intended to stir the pot.. while ignoring the facts...or at least not asking for clarifications before you jumped to the worst possible conclusion...

Soundguy

Allan

The GC I work for was involved in some of those superfund cleanup contracts. Wonderfull stuff can get into the soil from leakinf gas and diesel tanks. Burried paint products are the best... you would love to see what benzene does to human tissue...

DOT classifies used motor oil as hazardous waste.. Every polutant that comes out of a tail pipe can be found in that oil... hydrogen sulfide.. other acidic compounds.. heavy metals.. you name it.. so yes.. that 'BS' as you casually put it.. is true.

Soundguy

That's all I'm going to say on this subject... It's just human nature for a certain percentage of the population to ruthlessly exploit the environment and then throw up their hands and claim that it isn't doing anything. ( the world used to be flat too! )

Soundguy

That's all I'm going to say on this subject... It's just human nature for a certain percentage of the population to ruthlessly exploit the environment and then throw up their hands and claim that it isn't doing anything. ( the world used to be flat too! )

Soundguy

The Thompson's seems to be protecting the wood, and when the decks are wet they're no more slippery than untreated wood.

i have a 40 year cattle bunk that I have taken apart and made into a small flatbed - put some oil on it now - but those boards look as good as new -

for my future wood projects i am considering buying the eposy and trying that -

We replaced the untreated with treated, the floor is 6 years old now and it is still solid as a rock and looks great.

Use used engine oil and an old broom. Slop 'er on there good and it will keep the wood from goin' south on ya.

Allan