I built a timber frame house with a reclaimed timber product pulled from a railroad trestle that ran across The Great Salt Lake. So, along with the unique colors, the wood has a high salt content. I used galvanized lags, through- bolts, and washers for all the connections. Most of the fasteners seem fine, but some of them have turned green and black with a thin powery coating. Does anyone know what this is and whether I should be looking at another finish for the fasteners (ie. stainless). This started occuring about 6 months after installation.
thanks
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I do as much saltwater fishing as I can, mostly from boats with lots of stainless steel hardware...some of it stains...I've heard there's quite a variance in quality...I'd replace the stuff that's flakey, or try some pepper<G>
Don't worry, we can fix that later!
If you can remove the lags you have, and completely coat them with heavy grease, this will create a barrier that takes some of the burden off the galvanizing. Of the stainlesses, only tyoe 316 will perform well in salty wood. Silicon Bronze is better. Either one will cost a fortune compared with the galvanized, which is why I mentioned the grease first. Experiment first before spending a lot of money. When you pull a lag out, you can inspect the full length for condition, which ought to yield valuable information. Best of luck, and maybe post back here when you find out more.
Bill