We’re in a townhome and replaced our small 2nd floor deck/porch with wet-treated pressure treated pine 3-4 weeks ago. We had to do it well in advance of the other units for safety reasons. There’s a ton of conflicting info about how to protect the wet type of pressure treated pine.
Important Factors:
- We’re in the Chicago area. Winter is coming.
- Porch will be fully exposed to the elements (rain, snow), including direct sun for the first half of the day.
- Top of floor and railing has been protected with heavy trash bags to protect from the brunt of the weather but bottom half remains exposed.
- Don’t want to do anything too fancy because of the HOA.
Some say not to do anything this type of pressure treated pine for 6 months to avoid sealing in moisture. I’d rather not have a deck covered in trash bags for another 6-8 months, but don’t want to leave it exposed to the elements.
What should I do?