Hi,
I have customers with access to recycled chestnut in quantities to die for! They would like to use the chestnut as flooring in a rustic home, and carry the flooring into a screened porch. Both those applications seem fine to me, however the question was raised as to whether or not the chestnut can be used for exterior decking and stairs, as well. Experience has shown that even buried chestnut fence posts don’t rot, even after 40+ years in the ground. However my concern is that chestnut exposed to the weather, both on a south side with lots of glass and on the north east side will suffer extremes in heat/cold, UV and snow and ice (home is located in southern Vermont).
Has anyone out there used chestnut for this application, and if so, with what results? These people are great, and are putting a tremendous amount of energy into getting the house “just so” without being obnoxious, so I want to give them the best advice possible.
Thanks!
Replies
here in in theblue ridge mountains. ive seen many outside
buildings with chestnut exterior, very weathered but still solid
my old grandaddy tore many of them down to use as fuel for
his hog skalding vat ,split rail fences were his favorite choice
for that. the only thing was, it seemed that a termite or carpenter ant
would travel a mile to sink his chomppers into that stuff hince
"wormy chestnut'.another thing we have sawed old logs to
make furnature and still would have to kiln dry it, as it would still
cup up. d.w.