Yellow stringybark...

[Yonnee]

Hi guys,
Great forum, not long found it.

Anyway, I've done a quick search but haven't found the answers I'm looking for.

I'm building a pergola/deck, 18M x 3.6M and I'm at the stage of just about to order my decking boards. I can get a locally grown Yellow Stringybark (90mm x 22mm reeded) for a good price and it comes "treated" too.
I'd like some opinions as to the quality/longevity of my chosen timber, (everything else seems 3-4 times dearer) and what's the best stuff to oil it with? I don't mind a little hard work to oil it every 6 months or so, or is there a better option?

BTW, the pergola has a roof although the 18M east side and 3.6M north side will be open.

Thanks in advance,

Yonnee.

[DJ’s Timber]

Hi Yonnee

My little book "Trees of Victoria and Adjoining Areas" says it is

Pale yellowish-brown, heavy, hard, strong and durable. Good for poles, stumps and heavy construction.

Going from that bit of info I would say that it will be quite durable and will most likely last for a hell of a long time with regular oiling

[Metung]

"Good for poles, stumps and heavy construction", I've just spent a small fortune and used yellow stringy bark as the laminate on my floating floor. Get out'a here.

[Dusty]

Hi, Yonnee,

Your just round the corner from me. Sort of.

Anyway, you have opened the normal can of worms as to whats the best way to finish a deck.

Firstly, I'm thinking you will get a FLOOD of information regarding this top product.

Or, alternatively, you might think that this is the good OIL.

Ohh, and by the way. I've always considered Stringy Bark to be a fairly un-stable timber, prone to shrinkage and movement.

[strangerep]

I'm building a pergola/deck, 18M x 3.6M and I'm at the stage of just about to order my decking boards. I can get a locally grown Yellow Stringybark (90mm x 22mm reeded) for a good price and it comes "treated" too.
I'd like some opinions as to the quality/longevity of my chosen timber, (everything else seems 3-4 times dearer)

Yellow stringybark. Oh dear... you get what you pay for...

It is rated durability class-3 in-ground, and class-2 above-ground. For decking
boards, it's usually wiser to go by the in-ground rating (because the undersides
of the boards tend to stay moist after rain for a surprisingly long period, even if
the top looks bone dry). The deck that I've just re-constructed previously had
a mix of blackbutt and stringybark joists. The former weren't too bad, but
the stringybark was quite ruined with fungal rot after just 8 years. (sigh)

The poor durability of stringybark is one reason why it's both reeded,
treated, and cheaper. The reeding on the underside is an attempt to get it
to dry out quicker.

In contrast, blackbutt is in-ground class-2 above-ground class-1, while other
really good stuff such as ironbark and tallowwood are in-ground class-1.
The meanings of these in-ground durability classes are as follows: class-1
means a life of 25 years, class-2 means 15-25 years, class-3 8-15 years,
class-4 means 1-8 years. These figures are all for the untreated timbers buried
in the ground. Using something like ironbark or tallowwood for decking should
give 50 years or more (untreated), and far longer if one uses an appropriate
finish and maintains it. It's unwise to use classes 3 and 4 outside at all.

What price were you being quoted for yellow stringy, compared to (say)
blackbutt and tallowwood? I just checked a local timber merchant, but
they don't offer stringybark decking at all.

- strangerep

[Yonnee]

OK, now I'm p!ssed.

First of all I'm being told that Yellow Stringybark is OK and should see me 20 years. On the other hand I'm being told it's not! NOW the timber yard tells me they only have the Yellow Stringybark in 70mm and the sample they sent me was "Silver Top", which has even less of a rating than Stringy!!

So now what...

I had a good price for Tallowwood before Christmas, and right on Christmas as I was about to order, the price goes up by half again!! And now I've waited 6 months for the Stringy, only to find it might not be suitable for the longevity I want, and it's not the size I want. GRRRR!!

So I guess it's back to the drawing board. I'll start another thread going back to my original desire for the decking boards.