Go Bottom

Floor board treatments

View my Photos
german
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 2 Grass Valley,CA
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2004-05-31          87375


Got the brakes working and am now ready to replace theFloor boards on the horse trailer. I plan on using 2x8 Doug Fir. Any suggestions as to what I could treat these with that wouldn't be harmful to the horses and still help resist rot?
Thanks
German




Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-01          87416


If you can get it, Red Oak is a much better choice. It is stronger and stands up better.

As for treatment, saturate them in Thompson's water Seal or similar, it's just basically parafin wax in solution, no nasty chemicals.

The most important thing you can do to extend the life of the floor is the maintenance, keep it clean, lift out or stand up the mats whenever possible to let it breathe and dry. Also, park the trailer on a hard dry surface, gravel, asphalt or concrete not grass that will hold moisture near the wood.

Best of luck. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
Chief
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 4297 Southwest MiddleTennessee
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-01          87424


I am not an experienced horse person but it sure would seem to be more cost effective and cheaper to go with a good pressure treated lumber coated with some type of skid resistant paint or coating if the chemicals in the boards are an issue for the horses. The pressure treated lumber will last so much longer. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-02          87506


Treated lumber is saturated with an arsenic. Probably not the best choice for use around livestock. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
dsg
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 528 Franklin, Maine
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-02          87515


Hemlock has been used for Barn floors around here for many many yrs. Last along time and the barn animals take care of the treatment:)

David ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
shortmagnum
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 848 Wisconsin
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-02          87518


Most treated lumber is now treated with a copper compound which is safer than the old arsenic compounds. Whether it is safe for animals should be well known.
Dave ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
lucerne
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 192 Lucerne Maine
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-02          87522


DSG has the answer, eastern hemlock is very strong, it's used for barn beams to decking on constuction trailers. It is also very resistant to salt and is used on docks around the ocean. Believe it or not,when used as a fence post,it will out last a cedar. Pressure treated has been changed, no more arsnic, but if a lumber yard still has it in stock they can sell it. I got some the other day, got 4 splinters in one hand and the next day I couldn't use it. Had to cut them out. Most important, Hemlock is alot less. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-02          87523


There is no doubt that Hemlock is a good, strong, durable wood.

The problem with using it for an application like floor decking in a horse trailer is it's not strong enough. Unlike the floor of a transport trailer where the loads are spread over a larger area, a horse puts all of their wait on four small areas, their hoofs.

Even a small horse weighs about 1,000 pounds, and it stands on 4 relatively small hoofs, the span between frame rails is fairly wide and both the 2 front and 2 rear hoofs end up on the same span. This is doubled when you load 2 horses. A pair of good sized horses can exert 1,500 pounds on two smallish areas of flooring.

For that kind of load you need something pretty substantial underneath or you will end up with 'Flinstone brakes' on that trailer.

Best of luck. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
lucerne
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 192 Lucerne Maine
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-02          87540


Eastern Hemlocks compression strength on parrallel grain is 5410 pounds per square inch, on Douglas Fir it is 6900 lbs per square inch. The shear strength , what it would take to shear it off if laid across another square edged object is 1400 pounds per square inch on Douglas fir. So a horse would have to stand all fours on a thimble on a 1 inch wide piece to shear it off and would never compress it to failure. It looks like Western Hemlock is even stronger all around then Fir, if that matters. Since you are in the west either would be fine, which one is more rot resistant? We use quarter sawn douglas fir for decks in the east. But to answer your question, Benjamin Moore Exterior Wood 088 penetrating finish and sealer. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
bigone9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 5 Mabank, Tx.
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2004-06-02          87542


Arcenic is no longer used in pressure treated wood. Or at least it is not supposed to be. Lowe's and Home Depot both sell the product. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
dsg
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 528 Franklin, Maine
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-03          87608


Lucerne, How do you like that 110. If they were selling them in 2000 when I bought my 4700 I would have got one of those instead. I just did a commercial for the Ellsworth/Bangor dealership where I'm hanging off the side of the 110 and saying "Nothing Runs Like A Deere":) and I look pretty stupid too.

David ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-03          87613


All of are trailer floors are Red Oak, but then our horses are Belgians (draft horses) and the corks in their shoes would shred a softwood floor in no time flat if it wasn't as tough as nails.

Maybe light horses aren't as tough on floors as their bigger cousins.

Best of luck. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo



Floor board treatments

View my Photos
lucerne
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 192 Lucerne Maine
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster  View my Photos  Pics

2004-06-03          87620


This is my second 110. The first one broke down 4 times in 12 hours. I told them thats it, come get it. They gave me a few days to calm down and offered me a better deal to take another. As you see I did, it broke in 3 hours. Been fine for the last 100 hrs.I like the power of the hoe for it's size and what the loader will lift. I have dug out and moved some large boulders,as I'm sure you know, Lucerne is made of bolders. It operates like a skid steer, very quick and agile,the front actually will slide sideways when going from forward to reverse, I've never used the brake. I also like how you can move the machine from the backhoe with the creep controll with two fingers.The down side is the dealers. All the JD dealers I have been to, know nothing about machines and sell full retail from the book, kinda like the new Harley Davidson dealers. Every time I go in for something I check their knowlege. The front diff takes hydro 20 low visc oil. So when I went in to get some I asked what do I put in my 110 front axle, he grabbed a bottle of 90 weight gear oil and said this is what it takes, are you sure?? yup, can you look it up? ok........hmmmm!!! guess I'm wrong. I have done this several times on different things. I like Union Farm Equipment, good old boys, from farm country, they know their equipment and implememts, if they don't have an answer they say let me find out. They have good equipment too, Kubota and New Holland. I bought my machine in Union at Hammond tractor, across the street, $6000. less then local dealers. Just did a job on the Hog Bay road. I lived on 182 in Franklin, last house on the left before the cemetary, my dad bought it in 1968 for $4500.and fixed it up. ....


Reply to | Quote Post Reply to PostQuote Reply | Add PhotoAdd Photo


   Go Top


Share This







Member Login