I am building a new blind this weekend and will be ripping 2x4 to 2x2 for support of walls, etc. Just curious, have you guys seen a big difference in going with pressure treated vs non treated 2x4 in your builds?

Thanks.

I have some stands that are 40+ years old. Any wood "inside" the stands, like wall structure as you describe, is still as solid as the day they were built. As long as it's protected from all but occasional direct exposure to the weather un-treated wood will last a long time. Full exposure, not so much.

edited to add: I have one stand that my dad built before I was born and it's still solid at 50+ years old. The floors do rot out every 20 years or so, though.

I used pressure treated lumber for my blind five years ago. It still looks like new. Pressure treated is the only way to go for durability. Also, I used 2x4's for all my construction and have never regretted it. It has withstood high wind, snow, ice and broiling heat without a hitch.

I'm about to build a box blind as well. Gunna go 4x8. I'm thinking I'd be much more comfortable doing the full frame out of 2"x4"s. Never built one, but I just don't know that I trust 2x2s.

Thanks for the input guys. I am building a 4x4 blind due to having a really tight area that it is going in....that is why I am comfortable with the 2x2's.

Gotcha. For the record, I'll likely be using pressure treated as well.

Good luck with it!

Treated wood definitely wears well, but there are a couple of drawbacks to consider. First, the weight. If you are going to transport the blind or put it on a tower then you may want to consider non-treated. Second, during the hot summer the treated wood can give off a noxious odor. Not only unpleasant, but possibly unhealthy. I believe non-treated wood with good coats of primer and exterior latex is the way to go. As far as size, I build the frame out of 2x2s. Such a small structure tends to support itself and there is little or no advantage in using 2x4s.

Actually the added weight of pressure treated has it's advantages. We have had some very high winds at the lease and my blind never moved. Another blind was blown over. Just a thought.

The new treated wood doesn't have an arsenic based chemical anymore. Should be safe. Ghostman is right in that the stuff is heavy, so you do need to take that into consideration. The only significant problem I've had is when I make the blind windows and use sliding plexiglass sheets. They work great, and are by far my favorite windows. But...the few times I used treated wood for the window frames and used my table saw to cut the sliding grooves in the upper and lower 2x4's I did not consider that the treated wood would shrink when it dried and the sliding channel would then be too narrow and the plexiglass wouldn't slide. Dang! Had to take the windows out, take them apart and recut the grooves.

Thanks for all of the input

The weight of treated versus untreated 2×4's is about 4oz. per foot. Obviously, relative density, moisture content, etc. has a lot to do with that. Also, and most importantly, treated lumber these days requires that your fasteners be hot dipped galvanized or stainless steel. the most common treated lumber uses Borate as it's inhibitor and is corrosive to mild steel.

Not certain about wood today, but several years back any time you cut treated wood, whether ripping or crosscut, the area you opened lost its protection. Even though it was "pressure-treated" the treatment did not accomplish much except sealing the edges.

I've built a number of ground 4x6 blinds. Use pressure treated 2x8 as runners so that I can move blinds easily with my Ranger. At our lease any lumber touching the ground has to be pressure treated, otherwise the termites will eat it up within a year or two. Use 2x4 for the frame and 1/2" plywood for sides. Use Deerview flip up windows.

x2

Your 2x2 inside the blind don't need to be treated. Everything else should be PT?! On the exterior where your panels come together you should use an L channel. Caulk it and fill the top of each with spray foam, then caulk again and spray pain.

I guess this is late but is there any particular reason for ripping 2x4's to make 2x2's rather than just buying 2x2's? I've framed stands with 2x2's for years and they are plenty strong (I do use treated 2x4's for the floor frame). I've never used treated on anything else as regular lumber properly painted, will last a long time - one of mine lasted nearly 20 years until Hurricane Rita put a tree through it.

Cheaper to rip 2x4 rather than buying 2 x 2 from what I've seen

The other reason to rip vs buy 2x2 lumber is that 2x2 lumber is often made out of the cheapest, nastiest, low quality pieces of wood. It warps and twists easily. If you are buying 2x2 it is necessary to sort through and pick the best to get lumber that is mostly straight. If you rip it yourself, then you will at least have strait boards to start. If you don't store it right, it will still warp and twist, though.

When we build a modular blind the side walls are 4x4x6'. front 2sections are 4x4x6 tall. The two sections meeting in the middle are 2x2 bolted together. The only 2x4 we use are floor support for 3/4 in plywood. Each section is numbered and predrilled. Bring up a 4 foot side section, bolt into floor. Bring up the next labeled section for the front half of the long wall. Holes should already be predrilled for bolts/nuts, set that next wall and bolt the previous studs together and then screw the base to the floor. Continue until all four walls are up and bolted together vertically and base is screwed down. Construct roof out of 2x2 frame with 1/2 OSB and cover with metal roof to give a 3 inch overhang on all sides. The roof should be designed inset inside the wall structures. That way you can screw the roof down from inside the blind. If there are a few minor gaps at the corners, just fill with foam and paint. We then use a Elevators on the corners to accept 4x4 to the height desired, and the cross brace. One thing to not forget is one more 4x4 placed under the center of the floor down to the ground. Strong tie makes a part just for this purpose.