Two Reasons To Use Untreated Wood Beams When You Need Cribbing Skids
When you need to support or stabilize a piece of pipeline or a piece of heavy equipment, wood blocks and beams referred to as cribbing skids can be useful for that purpose. You may have access to treated wood beams left over from past projects that you might want to use, but there are some reasons that untreated wood is a better choice. Here are two reasons to use raw wood beams or blocks for cribbing.
You Can See Damage More Easily
If you're using multiple blocks and beams to support a heavy piece of machinery like a forklift or a heavy pipeline, they will need to be stacked first before they are useful. As the skids are stacked, you or your employees will be able to easily determine whether the pieces are beginning to crack, rot or split. That visibility can be more difficult if you are using wood pieces that have a dark stain all over them or beams that have been painted with multiple coats of paint. It might not be until you've put a heavy load on the skids and watched your pipeline or equipment fall to the ground that you realize that the wood should not have been used.
It is vital that you and your team notice the quality and condition of the wood while stacking skids; therefore, using untreated wood is wise. If you prefer to have different color wood blocks and beams because they are easier to sort and organize when they're being stored, avoid painting the entire surface of your skids. Instead, just mark one side or spot with whatever color paint you want to use.
Untreated Wood Provides Less Chance of Slipping
Using treated wood for cribbing may present a problem because, unlike untreated wood, many coating products are water-resistant. You may think that preserves the wood, but it also means that droplets of water may collect on the surface of the skids. If that happens, the lack of friction between the skids due to any moisture and water may cause some of the skids to slip against each other and provide a less stable environment for whatever you are putting on top of them. Untreated wood is less slippery and can offer better stability.
Now that you're better able to understand why it's a good idea to use untreated wood beams and blocks when you need cribbing, contact vendors in the area. You should be able to find a vendor that can supply you with the skids you need at a reasonable price.
For more information, contact B and D Mats, LLC or a similar company.
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