# Sealing end grain on outdoor wood



## GregD (Oct 24, 2009)

I hope soon to have a wood fence installed - cedar pickets and pressure treated rails, rot board and cap (steel posts). I was thinking it would be helpful to put sealer on the end grain of each piece of wood before installation. Once the fence is constructed I can squirt it with water seal from time to time to try and slow down its rate of decay, but it won't be possible to get at the ends of the boards; they will all be butted up against something or other (and not visible).

Does this seem like a worthwhile thing to do?

If so, what sealer would you recommend? The ends won't be visible for the most part, but black would be better than white. The sealer will be slapped on quick and the part nailed up right away.


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## tenontim (Feb 24, 2008)

sealing end grain on out door furniture is one good use for Gorilla glue polyurethane glue. Work it into the end grain with a stiff brush and it will seal off the end grain for years.


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## ClintSearl (Dec 8, 2011)

White latex roofing cement


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Greg:

If it were me, I'd paint the ends of the boards with an exterior grade paint..you said the ends won't show, so a black paint would work…don't know how long your fence will be, but you can put a good coat on each one, if you lay them side bt side, and by the time you get from one end to the other, they will be dry, and you can put one more coat on….that should do it….I replaced a fence at one of the homes I bought, and it was there 16 years and still holding up when I sold it…..


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## GregD (Oct 24, 2009)

Tim - that sounds like a great idea but maybe not for the quantity of fence I'm dealing with. It should help some other projects I have planned.

Clint - thanks. I wouldn't have thought of that.

Rick - I usually prime, and sometimes also paint, all 6 sides of any wood I put up outsiide. And I do exactly as you descriibe with the primer on the end grain. I think I dismissed this idea initially because I was hung up on avoiding white, but I can probably get a gallon of primer tinted brown-ish so whatever bits are visible won't be as distinctive.


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