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Thread: Need help with questions on front porch repairs

  1. #1

    Need help with questions on front porch repairs

    Carpenter Ant damage..
    Around 2008 we had a front porch with a roof built to replace the deck on the front of the house. The PVC handrails were white and roof support columns were painted white to match. The band around the outsude of the porch was treated 2X10 and I put cedar 1X7 boards on it. I also painted them white. A few weeks back I noticed where the boards went together on the horizontal seams there were places where the cedar was rotting. I took a screwdriver and starting digging around as I was afraid the 2x10 underneath might also be rotting. A ton of very small carpenter ants came out. After that I got my tools out and removed all the cedar band. (porch is 10X40) There were ants everywhere. I had used Cox treated 2X6 for the floor. Also since The front of the house faces the West the summer heat here in NC can get in the high 90's. I put two pocket holes per board on the 2X10 band to keep the floor boards from cupping on the ends. That worked nice and kept the ends from cupping and remained flat. Once the cedar band was off I noticed that the ants had build nest and layed eggs in a lot of the pocked holes. I plan to fill the pocket holes with Lexel to stop future nest building.

    Now I am faced with what to replace the cedar band with. I have been told that I should have used a solid hide stain rather than paint so the ceder could breath. I think the ants eat the wood and once the holes got large enough rain water got into the wood and set up the rot. Terminix came out and sprayed for the ants.

    I am thinking about going back with treated 1X7 but do not know whether to paint or use solid hide stain. What would you guys go back with?

    I am going to call Terminix to see if they will cover and cost since I have had them here many times to spray for ants.

    Thanks for any help with material, paint or stain questions
    Johnny
    Last edited by Johnnyy Johnson; 04-03-2020 at 10:38 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Peoria, IL
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    4,445
    I'm of the age I figure I need less than 20 years to be rated "lifetime" on my house. If it's just a piece of trim, I'd use PVC. Cedar and especially redwood are not the rot resistant woods they used to be. The reputation built on their rot resistance was with old growth timber. 2nd and especially 3rd growth has only a fraction of the rot resistance.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
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    They claim that douglas fir has equal rot resistance to modern redwood unless you are paying for pure heart old growth.
    Bill

  4. #4
    Couple of things regarding WRC in general. First, as Richard points out, most cedar bought today is from fast growing, young trees. There isn’t much heartwood in the lumber being sold for outdoor projects, which is the stuff you want for rot resistance.

    Second is understanding how wood performs outdoors, especially when sandwiched together. Rot generally occurs where one board is attached to another. Take an old cedar deck apart and you’ll quickly see what I mean.

    Another consideration is air flow. Porches and decks need to breathe. The skirting on a T&G porch needs to allow for cross ventilation so the heat an humidity don’t build up.

    Most painted and stained wood decks have a critical flaw; the boards are finished after installation. This makes perfect sense as who wants to take the time to prefinish every deck board. The problem is now the boards are taking on moisture and debris at the very spot you don’t want them to; where two pieces of wood are in constant contact. Since the rest of the board is sealed...well you can see is makes a nice nest for insects and rot.

    My suggestion is prime and paint (or stain) your new fascia board all the way around, or use Azek fascia or trim. With Azek it doesn’t matter if you paint only one side because it has no organic matter.

  5. #5
    20200403_133105.jpg20200331_094021.jpg20200403_133124.jpgYou will have to Zoom in on the pocket holes to see the ants. They had nested in 50% of the holes. Terminix was here two days ago and sprayed. He said for safety I should wait two day to start prep to put on new material. I am open for any suggestions. My first choice was PVC from Lowes, but thought maybe the treated 1X7 might work.
    Thanks for the help
    Johnny

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Dickinson, Texas
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    7,655
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    I just googled "Termite Resistant Wood" and the site states that redwood is good .
    I do not know for real, but check around.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Cambridge Vermont
    Posts
    2,282
    I used Tigerwood for my decking but some of the other South American decking options would work as well. Ipe is the most common one and can be found pretty easily. I can tell you right now no ant is going to eat it.

  8. #8
    Were you able to view my pic above? I joined in 2009, but not been on here in awhile. I am in the process of Donating, but do have Paypal, will have to send check.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
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    Central MA
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    I’m no entomologist but those don’t look like carpenter ants to me.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    New Brunswick, Canada
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    324
    How about flat stock aluminum and a metal break. Looks like this area receives buckets of water too.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Columbus, OH
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    3,063
    Quote Originally Posted by John Lanciani View Post
    I’m no entomologist but those don’t look like carpenter ants to me.
    Agreed. Don't know what particular flavor these are, but, the carpenter ants I've seen are about 1/2" long.
    Brian

    "Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher

  12. #12
    I was thinking maybe they had just hatched and were babies. I really dont know. I read that they only nest in wood. The Terminix man did not say anything when I told him I though they were. He did say that giving the chance they could destroy a deck.

  13. #13
    When you say the 2x10 is treated, what treatment? Pressure treated? What’s the lumber being treated?

    I’ve mostly stopped building decks with wood, including joists and sometimes posts. When we do use wood for structural supports, it’s ground contact pressure treated Douglas fir, even if it’s 12’ off the ground. Makes a difference what the timber is and the treatment method as to how well it hold up.

    You can use non-organic furring strips to mount the fascia board to the structural rim. They only need to be 1/8” thick to provide a drainage path for water to get out. This also allows some airflow for drying between the sistered boards. This will protect your rim joist as well as any wood fascia you put on.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Modesto, CA, USA
    Posts
    9,889
    How about hardiplanks or Hardie boards?
    Bil lD

  15. #15
    Eric..The 2x10 was bought at Lowes and is pressure treated. I am thinking about going back with 8'X12" sheets of PVC.

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