pressure treated timber for an outdoor table?

[cedricb]

Hi,

I'm gathering idea to make an outdoor table for the next British summer...

I was looking at using pressure treated timbers for the legs, aprons and stretchers. ...something like incised 100x100 UC4 kiln dried fence post; is it safe to use for garden furnitures, as years ago CCA was banned ?
Otherwise it is worth to use pressure treated timber if I'm cutting, milling, sanding, etc.; as the UC4 from my understanding is only on the outer surface of the timber?

I'll need to have look at what type of finish I can use to substain the British weather!

In term of construction, I'm planning to use a castle joint for the legs/ aprons and use strips of glued oak/ash for the table top (like a cutting board but not in an end grain fashion).

Cheers,

 

[Fitzroy]

Made a garden table in 2015 and I’m 2020 the finish was still very well intact on the legs, and apron, the top was completely grey by comparison, the ends of the legs also had suffered.

Any cuts in the treated timber will lessen the protection but if you keep the cuts away from ground level and soak any cut ends in some timber preservative I think you’ll be fine.

2015

2020

 

[cedricb]

...after reading a little bit more around the forum, I think I'm going to avoid using treated timbers!

@Fitzroy I think your table looks like oak to me or a decent species

 

[Fitzroy]

Yes my table is oak/hardwood. My reflection was that the frame is relatively protected from the weather by the top, as evidenced that after 5yrs the finish is still good. So any cuts in treated wood that are away from the floor shouldn’t be an issue.

It’s made from a bunch of sleeper type things a guy sold on gumtree for £50. For an outside table I thought they would be good. It turns out some were oak and some not. The legs were not oak and I don’t think they are a very durable hardwood as the ends are already suffering rot, and I’ve stood them in preservative each spring.