Thermally modified wood caught my eye too, but yeah, the price tag made me pause. I ended up going with reclaimed cedar for my deck—found a batch from an old barn being torn down.
That’s a smart move with the reclaimed cedar. I’ve seen a few projects where folks went that route and honestly, the character you get from old wood is hard to replicate. You mentioned sanding for splinters—did you have any issues with hidden nails or hardware? That’s usually my biggest concern when working with salvaged boards.
I hear you on the tung oil vs. linseed. Linseed can get gummy if it’s not wiped down right, especially in humid spots. Tung oil seems to soak in better and doesn’t attract as much grime over time.
One thing I’ve noticed with reclaimed cedar is that it can be a bit unpredictable in terms of durability, depending on how weathered it was before salvage. Have you had any boards start to rot or split yet? Sometimes I’ll pre-treat the worst-looking pieces with borate just to be safe, but maybe that’s overkill.
All in all, using what’s already out there definitely feels better than buying new, even if it means a little more elbow grease up front.
I’ve had a couple of boards that looked solid but ended up splitting after the first winter—guess that’s the gamble with old wood. Did you seal the ends or just oil everything? I’ve heard end grain can be a weak spot, especially with cedar.
