2 Easy Parts To Treat Pallet Wood For Outdoor Use
A wooden pallet, also known as skid, is one of the flat transport structure, which gives good support in a stable fashion when lifted by a pallet jack, front loader, jacking device and other such things. The wooden pallet is the structural groundwork(unit load) which allows storage efficiencies & handling. The wooden pallets have to work for outdoor use but first, you need to treat it for outdoor use. Here are the 2 parts and steps to treat pallet wood for outdoor use:
Part 1: Evaluating Your Pallet For Safety
Here are the steps for part one:
- Look For Sharp Protrusions: First of all wear thick as well as non-porous gloves in order to inspect your wooden pallet. Check your whole wood pallet to find whether there are any tacks or nails sticking out if present then remove it with the claw of your hammer. If there are many tacks or nails on a wood pallet then you can remove them with a tack puller.
- Check The Pallet For Discoloration: Check your wood pallet for any discoloration. Visually inspect your entire wood pallet. Avert colored pallets, which are used to ship chemicals & some times it can be toxic. If you find an area with staining from an unknown source then it’s best to dispose it.
- Look For A Marking That Identifies The Pallet: Look for a marking that identifies your wood pallet. Inspect your pallet for any stamps in symbols, numbers, or words that are not part of a company logo. Such markings may be painted, branded or etched onto the wood. If there aren’t any, the pallet is most likely safe.
Part 2: Washing And Sanding Your Pallet
Here are the steps for part two:
- Hose The Pallet Outdoors: Hose your wooden pallet outdoors. Don’t take the unclean pallet inside in the home. Use a garden house or the power washer in order to give the whole wooden pallet an initial rinse. This should wash away any debris present on a pallet. Allow the pallet to dry for few times.
- Disassemble The Pallet, If Desired: Disassemble your wooden pallet, if desired. Try to use a hammer, pry bar & cat’s paw to take apart the wood pallet without breaking it. If your pry bar doesn’t finish this job, a nail punch or drill can easily drive the nails out. Instead, you can cut through with exposed nails by using an oscillating tool, or cut through with the planks themselves.
- Sand The Wood: Then you need to sand the wood pallet. Place your wooden pallet or planks betwixt sawhorses. Rub the wood’s surface according to the grain, starting with coarse sandpaper & moving up to fine grade sandpaper. Sand your entire wooden pallet so that it is smooth to the touch & won’t create splinter.
- Scrub: Scrub the wood with the help of a soap solution. Take a bucket, combine 5 parts of water to 1 part of dish detergent. Instead, you can use a solution of one part detergent, 10 parts bleach & 20 parts water. Use a scrub brush to scrub the wood with this solution. Scrub notches & grooves wholeheartedly.
- Rinse: Rinse your wooden pallets & then scrub it again. Use a power washer or garden hose to rinse all the solution from your wooden pallets. Use this solution & then scrub brush to clean the wood 2nd time. Rinse the pallet a final time, then leave it in the sun until it’s dry wholly.