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Ask the Builder: Water Loss Causes Shrinkage

Wood will shrink if you don’t protect it from the elements.
Ask the Builder: Water Loss Causes Shrinkage
All of the wood in this new deck has developed significant shrinkage cracks. They could have been minimized by sealing the wood just after it was installed. Tim Carter/Tribune Content Agency/TNS
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Paula asked me a question about shrinkage cracks affecting her new deck. She sent me three photos showing all sorts of cracks in the handrails, railing posts, and the decking. The cracks were in brand new treated lumber installed in April of 2023. The wood has not been sealed since the day it was installed.

Paula asked, “I’m wondering whether it’s going to turn into a problem anytime soon.”

Tim Carter
Tim Carter
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Tim Carter is the founder of AsktheBuilder.com. He's an amateur radio operator and enjoys sending Morse code sitting at an actual telegrapher's desk. Carter lives in central New Hampshire with his wife, Kathy, and their dog, Willow. Subscribe to his FREE newsletter at AsktheBuilder.com. He now does livestreaming video M-F at 4 PM Eastern Time at youtube.com/askthebuilder. (C)2022 Tim Carter. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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