opinions please

I’d not use pressure treated lumber for tables and chairs. Some would I suppose. But they have a slight smell to them and you have to be careful when you’re cutting them not to breath in the dust when will have the chemicals mixed in.

My two cents – stick with the cypress or red cedar. You’ve got some good mills in Indiana that you should be able to get some pretty good prices on lumber. If you are not far from Logansport, I know Cole Hardwoods has just about everything you could possibly want.

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!

My 2 cents . . . the PT will be more likely to cup and bow, I would go with the redwood.

-- Anchul - Warrensburg, MO: As a Pastor, I am just trying to get closer to Jesus. He was a woodworker too.

I would not use pressure treated lumber for this.

tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

I wouldn’t either. Chemicals!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

I looked up your town yahoo maps. you are not too far from some of the best sawmills in the usa.
frank miller lumber is w/n 100 miles.

if it were me I’m go with white oak. FML has specials and will deliver, probably for free to your location.

there are several other saw mills in indiana … I know because I’ve visited a couple of them … I live near Cinci

take a look on craigslist.org … and search for lumber in the for sale section. did a quick search in your area and someone has rustic white for sale for only 2 bucks a board … link....

-- ..... art for lifes sake

I agree with the rest of the gang. Redwood would top my list.

-- Maplewood, MN

well I guess cypress will be my choice, redwood sounds great but it would be several hundred dollars in material (central Indiana). I appreciate everyone’s input.

steve in Ind

A lot of people are against using pressure treated wood because of the chemicals involved. Arsenic seems to be one of the top concerns. But if you wear gloves and a mask, and then seal it with an oilbased deck stain…well, my deck and table were built like 15-18 years ago. Both were given away when we built the new house, and both are just as strong today as the day I built them. We’re talking Syracuse, New York style weather here as well.

I heard that todays pressure treatments no longer carry arsenic and are replacing kids playground equipment. So it’s your decision of course. Just be sure to take time to weatherproof your project after it’s done. And don’t forget to post the pretty pictures!

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!

I’m a licensed certified structural pest Inspector in the State of Washington. I stay away from PT with bare skin as much as possible. If I have to saw it~ I do it outside on a windy day if possible. I saw over a tarp and put the dust in my trash: Nuff said.