Should I Use Pressure-Treated Building Materials for My Exterior or Deck Stairway?
Maybe, with a possible
yes.
I am not a big fan of pressure treated lumber and have been ridiculed by
construction workers, handyman and do-it-yourselfers for quite some time
now.
The bottom line is simple, pressure treated lumber might not last as
long and I stress this particular point or much longer than regular
construction standard building materials all the time.
I'm not a big fan of using pressure-treated materials for stair
stringers, treads, risers or joist and would only use it as a bottom
plate for wall framing and to attach the bottom of the stair stringers
to a concrete building foundation or
pad.
The key to anything, including stairways whether they were built out of
pressure-treated or non-pressure-treated lumber, will always go back to
maintenance. If either one of these stairways are poorly maintained,
then there's a good chance neither one will outlast the other.
I've removed, repaired and replaced exterior stairways built out of both
materials and am not entirely convinced, that you will be getting your
money's worth, building an entire stairway or
deck out of
pressure-treated lumber.
The best advice I could give anyone on whether or not to use
pressure-treated lumber for a porch or
deck stairway, would be to see
what others in their community were using and whether or not they were
happy with the results.
Now, don't get carried away and listen to a neighbor tell you how
wonderful their pressure-treated deck and stairway actually is, when
it's only a few years old. The same would hold true for a deck built out
of construction standard lumber.
The bottom line is, if everyone tells you that this or that is the only
way to go, without any rational validation, then they're only going to
be guessing.
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