Are scaffold boards treated? And how to treat them for outside use
No, scaffold boards are not treated when you buy them. Boards made to BS 2482:2009 are supplied as untreated softwood, usually pine or spruce, so if you are using them outdoors for decking, fencing, planters or garden furniture you have to treat them yourself. You have three options: oil, sealant, or stain. Oil needs reapplying every three to four months, sealant and stain roughly once a year. Left untreated, a scaffold board outdoors will take up moisture, warp, and eventually rot, and it becomes attractive to wood-boring insects.
This can be a hassle for many, which is why at BPS Depot we offer staging boards for those needing extra workspace. Scaffold boards require far more upkeep, so why not consider our aluminium, resistant staging boards today?
What are scaffold boards made from, and are they treated?
People unfamiliar with intensive DIY home improvement projects or who aren’t working in a trade may think purely of scaffolding when they hear “scaffold board”. In actuality, though, scaffold boards can be used for many things aside from just allowing you a safe access platform. Furniture, fences, decking – a bit of creativity opens the path to many impressive inventions from raised beds to furniture making.
However, wood is actually highly vulnerable to the element. In the wild, wood is protected by its thick bark, but scaffold boards erected outside will have been stripped of this, and are forced to face the elements without their natural protection. Not only that, but they have to contend, also, with potential insect infestations that can strip them of all their integrity. Scaffold boards are typically made from pine or spruce, both of which can be susceptible to rot without bark protection and insects.
A lot of people may think that by buying waterproof, treated scaffold boards, they can avoid these dangers. But this isn’t true, treatment is not something that is done once and forgotten about. It’s something to be maintained over a number of years.
Whilst scaffold boards are an affordable alternative to buying wood from home improvements stores, they may shrink or warp over time due to moisture retention. Wood warp also occurs when scaffold boards are exposed to fluctuating temperatures, causing them to become uneven in shape.
In this article, we will be exploring how to treat, waterproof and renew both enhancements to wooden scaffold boards, and finish with a solution that doesn’t require you to at all.
What goes wrong with untreated scaffold boards
Before you get on with treating scaffold boards, you should check to see if it’s not already decaying or breaking down due to wet rot, warping, or insect infestation. All professional scaffold companies adhere, by law, to the BS 2482:2009 standards of scaffold board safety and detail the steps they should take to determine whether or not the board is usable. These are the following signs of instability:
Wet Rot
Wet rot is a type of fungal infection that occurs in environments where the moisture is high. Affected areas of the board will appear discoloured and darker than the majority of the wood. The rot essentially weakens the overall integrity of the board, thereby reducing the load in which it can hold.
This commonly affects boards that are not stored in the correct conditions. Boards should be covered, off the ground and separated by spacers to allow airflow.
Wood Warp
Wood, when exposed to rising and falling temperatures, tends to warp into uneven shapes. This can even happen to the floorboards in your house. This often results in shifts of balance that are quite dangerous if being used at a height.
Damaged Sections
This is fairly self-explanatory. If the board takes structural damage done through improper handling (such as broken knots, end bands etc), then it’s weaker, and shouldn’t be used.
Infestation
Some insects thrive off of eating or simply living inside of wood. Check the board for wormholes, and if you find any, simply get rid of the board.
What to treat scaffold boards with: oil, sealant or stain
You can treat wooden boards, as well as wood of any kind, through several different methods like oils, dyes, stains, and sealants. It’s highly recommended that you apply an anti-fungal wash to clear any existing infestations in the wood before you apply your chosen method, however. This is because your protective coat only protects against incoming threats, rather than ones that already exist within your board.
Charring the surface, the traditional Japanese method known as yakisugi, does create a rot-resistant barrier, and it comes up often in this context. It is not a good fit for scaffold boards, though. Yakisugi is normally done on seasoned cedar, and scaffold boards are unseasoned pine or spruce, so the results are unpredictable and you lose the load rating the board was graded for.
The following are methods of scaffold board treatment are far more effective:
Linseed Oil
Linseed oil is commonly used to treat scaffold boards but will need to be reapplied every few months for best results.
To apply it is simple. First, clean the surface of your scaffold board, and then apply the oil evenly across the surface to create a coating. Then allow your oil to soak for a while, then apply a second coat.
For the best results, you should recoat your board with oil every 3-4 months. After that, the effects begin to diminish.
Linseed isn’t the only oil used for treatment, however. Aside from Linseed Oil, both walnut and tung oil are often used for this purpose, and sometimes they are mixed with turpentine and apple cider vinegar for a stronger effect.
Sealants
Sealing wood is the best method for treating scaffold boards, as well as adding protection against scratches and warping.
On top of cleaning the board before applying the sealant, you also have to sand it, creating an even surface.
Stir your sealant before applying it with a soft brush over the entire surface of the wood. Then, let the wood dry, give it a light sand, and reapply. Continue until satisfied.
Wood Stain and Dye
Wood staines enhance the appearance of scaffold boards but also increase their resistance to water damage and infestations – essentially acting as the bark the boards no longer have.
Dye staining scaffold boards has two main benefits: they make the boards look good and increase resistances against infestations and water damage. Stained scaffold boards are best used for outdoor furniture, like scaffold board planters and you can keep on top of your own boards by reapplying as required.
The natural grain will be enhanced by the treatment, and resistance against cracking, blistering and peeling will be increased due to enhanced structural integrity.
Which treatment is best for scaffold boards?
It depends on what the boards are for and how often you are willing to redo it:
- Use a sealant if the boards are structural or underfoot, such as decking. It gives the most protection against water, scratching and warping, and it lasts about a year. It is also the most work to apply, because the board has to be sanded as well as cleaned, and built up in coats with a light sand between them.
- Use oil if you want the grain to stay visible and you do not mind maintenance. Linseed is the usual choice, with walnut and tung oil as alternatives. Reapply every three to four months, because the protection falls away noticeably after that.
- Use a stain or dye if appearance matters most, on planters, furniture or fencing. It raises water and insect resistance while enhancing the grain, and it sits between the other two on longevity.
Whichever you pick, apply an anti-fungal wash first. A protective coat only keeps new problems out; it will seal an existing infestation in.
Can you use scaffold boards for decking?
Yes, and it is one of the most common uses, but decking is the hardest job you can give a scaffold board. It is horizontal, so water sits on it rather than running off; it is walked on, so the surface wears; and it is usually in full sun and full rain.
That means two things. Seal rather than oil, because a sealant handles standing water and foot traffic far better than an oil finish. And check the boards before you lay them: a board with wet rot has lost load capacity, and decking is a load-bearing application. The signs are in the next section.
Expect to re-treat decking more often than fencing or furniture. A board laid flat and walked on will not hold a finish as long as one standing vertically in a fence.
How to treat scaffold boards for shelves and indoor use
Indoors the job is easier, because you are protecting against wear and staining rather than weather. Clean and sand the board, then finish it with oil or a clear sealant depending on whether you want the grain to stay matt or take a sheen.
Two things still matter indoors. Sand more thoroughly than you would outdoors, because a shelf gets handled. And treat the board for any existing infestation before it comes into the house, since wormholes in a reclaimed board mean something has been living in it.
Reapplication indoors is rare. A sealed indoor shelf will go years without attention.
Is there an alternative to treating scaffold boards every year?
Treated scaffold boards are great aside from the constant re-coating and heavy amount of labour required. On top of that, the more oil/varnish/sealants you buy, the more you spend over time.
When it comes to needing boards for scaffolding, though, BPS has the perfect solution for you – metal boards.
If what you actually need is a working platform rather than timber for a garden project, a staging board avoids nearly all of this maintenance. A BPS Depot staging board is an aluminium frame with a marine plywood platform in a non-slip finish. There is still a timber element, but a factory-finished marine-grade panel held in an aluminium frame behaves nothing like a bare pine plank with exposed end grain, which is where a scaffold board takes on water.
They are certified to BS2037 (Class 1) and rated to 270kg, a higher rating than any other board we sell. Two widths, 450mm and 600mm, and five lengths from 3.05m to 5.95m, priced from £221.99 to £449.99. The stile depth is 70mm up to the 4.20m and 90mm on the 4.80m and above. Staging board handrails are available separately from £64.99 to £94.99, and handrail brackets from £161.99. Get staging boards from £221.99 at BPS Depot.
A staging board will not do the jobs a scaffold board does in a garden. It is not decking, fencing or furniture timber, and it is not meant to be. But if the reason you were looking at scaffold boards was to stand on them, it is worth comparing, because a sealed deck in a metal frame needs no annual oiling.
We hope this article has helped you understand board treatment and the dangers associated with neglect, plus also given you an alternative option if all that maintenance seems just a little too much.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are scaffold boards treated in the UK?
A: No. Scaffold boards made to BS 2482:2009 are supplied as untreated softwood, normally pine or spruce. If you are using them outdoors you need to apply an oil, sealant or stain yourself, and keep reapplying it.
Q: Are scaffold boards weatherproof?
A: Not as supplied. A scaffold board is bare softwood with no bark and no factory treatment, so it will absorb moisture, warp and eventually rot outdoors. Sealing, oiling or staining makes it weather-resistant, but it needs redoing on a cycle rather than once.
Q: How to stop scaffold boards from rotting?
A: Keep water out and keep air moving. Apply a sealant or stain and reapply it roughly annually, and where boards are stored rather than fixed, keep them covered, off the ground and separated by spacers so air can circulate.
Q: Can you use scaffolding boards as decking?
A: Yes, and it is a common use, but decking is the most demanding job for a scaffold board because water sits on a horizontal surface and the board gets walked on. Use a sealant rather than an oil, and check each board for wet rot first, since decking is load-bearing.
Q: How often do scaffold boards need treating?
A: It depends on the finish. Oil needs reapplying every three to four months, while a sealant or stain lasts roughly a year, and boards laid flat as decking need doing more often than boards standing vertically in a fence.
Q: What are scaffold boards made from?
A: Softwood, usually pine or spruce, graded to BS 2482:2009 for use as scaffold boards. Both species are prone to rot and insect attack once the bark is removed, which is why an outdoor board needs treating.
