What size treated pine for bench seat?

[Redboy65]

G'day, I'm building an outdoor bench seat that will be under cover of a third floor outdoor deck/balcony BUT very close to the ocean (Phillip Island) - therefore exposed to the elements. It will get wet during rain periods. I'm going to be using Spotted Gum as the cladding/outside of the bench seat and treated pine for the frame (as it needs to withstand the elements). Question I have is do I use 90x35 or 90x45 treated pine for the frame? There is an obvious price difference between the two sizes and I need to reduce my overall cost BUT also need to ensure that the bench seat is going to be sturdy and strong. Any help appreciated!

Cheers, Redboy65

[Dave-1]

Good Evening @Redboy65

Brilliant! I would be happy with that for sure! Cant wait to see the cladding Are you going to put it into place before cladding? It may end up pretty heavy to shift over once clad I am thinking.

Dave

[EricL]

Hello @Redboy65 

Thank you very much for that update, the frame looks great! I agree with @Dave-1, it's best to put it into position before you start cladding it decking panel. Otherwise, it will weigh a ton be and be extremely difficult to lift.

Eric

[Nailbag]

Hi @Redboy65 

Nice work on that frame and I also agree with that great tip from @Dave-1 in first positioning before cladding. You could still have all the boards pre-cut and pilot holed and even oiled in the shade of the shed.

If you still decide on spotted gum for the gladding then at least ensure you're paying for the real stuff and not Tallowwood. It looks very much the same as SG, but doesn't have the black streaks and spotting from Beatles common in this species during growth. With mills closing down, SG is becoming difficult to get and in consistent widths. So, Tallowwood is a cheaper alternative, but is often sold at the higher price as SG. I learnt this from a timber mill supplier.

When it comes to oiling, I am now a converted fan of Feasts & Watson water-based matt finish deck oil. I've only applied it to other peoples decks, but it's awesome. Great finish and doesn't leave the surface tacky for days even when fully dried like even Ingrain does.

Nailbag