Larch-Better than pressure treated?

beowulf343 · Apr 20, 2006

I took down a half dozen larch trees today and when I finished, this older guy pulled up to talk to me. He was wondering what I was going to do with the logs. I told him that the homeowner wanted to keep them and I asked him why he wanted to know. He told me that he was planning on building a deck and wanted to use larch lumber because it hold up under outdoor weather conditions even better than pressure treated lumber. This was the first time I had ever heard of this. Can someone tell me whether this is a proven fact or not? Thanks.

treehead · Apr 20, 2006

I own a wod flooring company and we used larch a few times, what I was told is that it was recovered from being under water so I gather it will last a long time, also, the grain in it seems less likely to splinter, very nice looking wood depending on how it is cut and how clear it is
Ryan

smokechase II · Apr 20, 2006

larch versus tamarack

I don't know that larch is better than pressure treated.
But it should do very well. Just a couple weeks back I posted a short synopsis of fire killed trees and their documented rot after five years.
Larch did the best.

yooper · Apr 21, 2006

is a larch and a tamarack both the same tree? thats what i always thought. although maybe i am wrong. most of the old farm stead fence posts from many yrs ago where i live are tamarack and they are still stuck into the ground with the barb laying on the ground. granted the barb wire fell off because of some rot i am sure, but these posts are on farms that haven't run for for well over 50 yrs if not more. if they are one and the same i am a firm believer in tamarack not rotting.

geofore · Apr 22, 2006

Yooper

One in the same tree. The wood is about the same weight as walnut. It's heavy for a pine.

smokechase II · Apr 22, 2006

larch versus pine

I was being ornery with the larch versus tamarack title. Larch is mostly a West Coast name. Tamarack is the common name in the Mid-West. Same tree genus.

However; in the larch versus pine I do need to correctly state that larch and pine are from two different genus. Larix and Pinus.

Pine wood is nowhere near as durable with the exception of 'heart' pine (Longleaf dead that has wood cells that have filled full of pitch).

Larch has a characteristic where is splits vertically easily. Made great fence rails and shakes for roofing.

Interestingly, it is a preferred tree to leave in thinning stands throughout the Western US because the trees needles do not want to burn as readily as most of the other species around it. Cut out the Pine and Fir that want to burn and leave a decent full break. Not a guarantee, but a good idea.