We have worked with pressure treated southern yellow pine for a couple of decades, so we know its properties and how to work with it very well.
Southern yellow pine is a very strong lumber that, because of its cell structure, is very suitable for the pressure treating preservation process. It is ideal for many outdoor structures including decks, docks, retaining walls, and even furniture. However, it is not perfect.
Pressure treated southern yellow pine tends to warp, twist, check (surface cracks), and even split. Most of these problems occur as the wood dries. The pressure treating process uses water to carry the preservative into the wood cells. As the lumber is exposed to air it starts to dry until it gets to the ambient humidity level. Frequently the lumber is used in a position where one side is allowed to dry faster than the other such as on a deck. The cells on the side that dries faster will shrink more and faster causing stress in the wood. This stress results in the lumber twisting, cupping, and warping.
Needless to say this is not an ideal characteristic for wood that is to be used in a structure like a pergola. It is the reason that we have not offered pressure treated wood pergolas. That is until we found AmishPine™.
AmishPine™ is a high grade of pressure treated southern yellow pine that is dried by a special process, selected for appearance and stability by hand, and then refinished to our specifications. The material is much more stable, has a finer finish, and is brighter in color than regular pressure treated lumber. It also holds paint and stains better. In order to further reduce twisting and bowing, we laminate and finish our 6 x 6 columns, shown on the right. This is another Backyard America exclusive.
Because of the extra processing, AmishPine™ costs more than regular pressure treated lumber, however it is still much lower in cost than cedar or redwood. AmishPine™ is also considered rot proof while cedar and redwood are only rot resistant. In fact, we offer AmishPine™ built pergolas with a lifetime warranty against rot and insect damage. AmishPine™ is only available from Backyard America.
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