Different speeds of wood rot. ---oak

[DavidV]

Something grabbed my mind today while stacking wood with my boys. I lifted a pallet that had cross slats on both top and bottom and half the bottom slats were completely eaten away. about 1 year sitting on the ground. The cross slats were soft wood...probably pine. the 3 support rails were oak and seemed completely untouched by the bugs. Earlier in the year I noticed this same phenomenon with several other pallets that were constructed this way. In the woods I have seen fallen oak trees that area all but completely eaten away by bugs within 2 years. Assuming that the oak rails on the palets are not treated, what would make them rot resistant and the fresh fallen oak trees a bug buffet?

 

[Eric Johnson]

Unlike lumber, fallen trees don't always get dried out. If the tree falls close to the ground, chances are it will remain moist and rot a lot quicker than lumber that's been allowed to dry. Dried lumber is more rot resistant, even when it gets wet again.

 

[mtarbert]

The pallet wood may be chemically treated .Not like Pressure treated pine (with heavy metal salts) but in any case the tree form is probably full of eggs or larva that are held in check while the tree is alive but when it (the tree) dies all bets are off. Just the milling process gets rid of the bark and the drying (possibly kiln) would kill off most parasites.
IMHO,
Mike

 

[velvetfoot]

I've put a liner of plastic down first without a pallet to combat rot, my theory being that it isolates the wood from bugs (inconclusive results-nothing to compare to). I haven't found anybody else who does this or sanctions it however, with the general feedback that low spots could be wet spots.

 

[restorer]

Tannin in oak offers some protection against decay. The higher density to the oak versus pine/poplar(common pallet woods) also helps, and the fact that the softwood was in direct contact with the ground sped it's decay. I have two pallets outside the shop that I have used to stack a variety of stuff on over the years. They are raised by some concrete patio blocks off the ground. They are about five years old and still in good shape for stacking. The ground contact really takes it's toll.