Questions and Answers for 5/4 in. x 6 in. x 8 ft. Premium Kiln-Dried Cedar Lumber

A:  I checked out web site and it does not show that your store carries this item: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-5-4-in-x-6-in-x-8-ft-Premium-Kiln-Dried-Cedar-Lumber-MR0510508/202302534#shipping_options It is possible that it is a type error and you may have to check some stores that are nearby you. Here are 2 nearby stores that have several of this item in stock: Tulalip #4726 Store Hours 9310 Quil Ceda Blvd, Marysville, WA 98271 | (360)657-5762 Southcenter #4705 Store Hours 6810 S 180th St, Tukwila, WA 98188 | (206)575-9200 Please let us know if you have any further questions. Rick_HD_OC (community.homedepot.com)

A:  Thank you for your recent inquiry with The Home Depot. This item is a Home Depot store exclusive, and is not available to order online. To determine pricing and availability you will need to localize the item online by using a zip code. For any other questions, please visit your local Home Depot store or call us at HomeDepot.com Customer Service 800-430-3376. 1. Localize Homedepot.com using your zip code (My Store Location: Change) 2. Choose the store where you want to pick up the item (Make this my Store)

A:  Hi Ironheadvette, All lumber shrinks as the moisture in it is extracted by the sun. The idea of a gap is to allow for drainage and to prevent standing water on the deck surface which would promote rot. Red cedar weathers very well and makes a good decking material, however it will shrink with age. Mike,

A:  Pressure Treated Lumber is no longer impregnated with the chemical soup known as 'chromated copper arsenate' aka CCA, so the term is wrong for the lumber being sold today as 'Pressure Treated'. In the Eastern and southern United States the actual lumber being 'pressure treated' is Southern Pine Lumber, any mix of 4 wood species so similar they are sold under the same name, Southern Pine. (Slash Pine, Long Leaf Pine, Short Leaf Pine, and Loblolly Pine) I explained this so you see the problem in answering your question. Southern Pine is VERY, VERY unstable wood, which means it swells & shrinks A LOT ! When pressure treated the wood is saturated with water that carries the chemical soup into the wood, causing it to swell, and if done properly the wood should be re-dried in a kiln, and then it gets sold as KDAT (kiln dried after treatment) Like most retail sellers Home Depot does not buy KDAT pressure treated so it will shrink massively if nailed down wet with the chemical soup. Now Western Red Cedar is NOT saturated with a chemical soup, and actually would be near impossible to treat that way, but the good news is that Western Red Cedar is very stable wood, and moves very little as it dries, so VERY UNLIKE PT Southern Pine and so you should leave about 3/16, to a 1/4 inch between boards because they will not shrink much at all. IF you buy the Western Red Cedar Kiln Dried, the boards will actually swell up on deck when it rains, so they can buckle from being nailed too close together. If your Western Red Cedar is kiln dried leave at minimum 1/4 inch between the boards. For Western Red Cedar use stainless steel fasteners, never plain steel, or anything that can rust. Finish the cedar before building the deck, and coat it on all sides. NEVER let wood weather before finishing as it makes the coatings fail faster. Install the boards Barkside UP, the opposite side is called Pithside and always faces down. Never nail within an inch of the end of the boards, if you need fasten the board there use construction-deck adhesive so you won't split the wood.