Weather resistant wood

[Phil S]

I built some exterior steps into my new shop. I used pressure treated pine for the framing, sapele for the risers and qs white oak from Scott for the treads. My building inspector was over today doing an insulation inspection and on his way out commented on my treads may not be up to code as they are not weather resistant. He said redwood, cedar or juniper would be ok but he felt white oak was not. I think I am right that WO is as weather resistant as cedar or juniper, now I just have to prove it.

Can anybody out there send my in the right direction?

 

[MarkE]

Here is one article:
Decay Resistance

Some more information here:
Quercus alba - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[bluthart]

"The USS Constitution is made of white oak, and reconstructive wood replacement comes from a special grove of Quercus alba known as the "Constitution Grove" at Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division.[9]"

If that doesn't sell it...

 

[Phil S]

Thanks for the help. That will do it. I needed some backup documentation and your links were great. Sometimes I just argue with the inspectors but as somebody told me , it is like wrestling with a pig, after an hour or so you realize the pig likes it and you are not winning -- so a few instructional documents will put the issue to rest

 

[Gofor]

If you are unhappy with the inspector's decision, the next avenue is to go to the next higher authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). In this case his supervisor or the city/county manager. You can follow this process all the way up to the NC Commissioner of Insurance, who is the final authority in the state.

If the inspector is just uninformed, than this would be the way to go if he decides to disapprove the step material. However, if he is like the one here in Wayne county, you will only succeed in really POing him. The one here makes a point of really screwing with anyone doing work on their own without hiring a contractor. He also is known to let contractors get away with serious code violations. Bureaucracy at its worst.

Go

 

[Phil S]

Mark, As soon as he is reminded that the USS Constitution was made from white oak and it is still floating he will be satisfied.
You are correct that some if not many inspectors give homeowners a hard time thinking they would have been better to hire a contractor. This is not the case here, I am a commercial contractor and my inspector knows me from many other jobs. I cannot remember a rejected inspection from him - he is just testing me and I am sort of enjoying it. I might be growing a curly tail

 

[bluthart]

Or if this is an option...
replace the treads with pressure treated pine and put the oak back on after you get your CO!

 

[Jeff]

If your local inspection office is still infested with knotheads here's a good resource for their enlightenment. :BangHead: The USDA Forest Products Laboratory: "The Wood Handbook, Wood as an Engineering Material". The entire handbook can be downloaded as a .PDF or you can download individual chapters.

Forest Products Laboratory - USDA Forest Service

Specifically (Chapter 2, pages 8 & 9) for an authoritative statement of the recognized useful properties of white oak. "Suitable for exterior use" is an understatement. :eusa_thin

Thanks for the help. That will do it. I needed some backup documentation and your links were great. Sometimes I just argue with the inspectors but as somebody told me , it is like wrestling with a pig, after an hour or so you realize the pig likes it and you are not winning -- so a few instructional documents will put the issue to rest