What's your life span of your hives? (supers, floor, lid and frames)

[squidink]

Hi people's!

I'm interested to hear about how long your hives last for?

When making supers/hives do you go to great lengths to make sure they last even using a preservative for the wood. I just slop on 3 coats of weather shield paint on the out side of the hive and don't worry about the inside. Should I be a bit more tentative in my care when making hives? how long would I expect them to last the way I have made them?

I'm interested to hear from my Australian beekeepers and my fellow beekeepers from abroad!

Ben

[AllenF]

I have a few boxes, bottoms, and tops that are as old as I.   And I have a few bodies that are just a few years old and the corners are gone.  It is just luck and the wood I guess.   I do slop paint on every few years when I get around to it.  Just cheap white outdoor paint (free is the best paint).   

[OzBuzz]

I make sure all of my timbers are wax dipped and painted on the outside only (any surfaces potentially exposed to weather). I've got boxes that are three years old that if you wiped them down with a damp cloth to get the dirt off you'd swear they were put together yesterday!