1. WHAT
PRESERVATIVES ARE USED FOR PRESSURE TREATMENT AND HOW LONG ARE THEY
EFFECTIVE?
For a long time,
CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) has been used as a reliable wood
preservative. CCA treated wood protects against all major forms of
destructive attack and is effective for many years. More recently,
preservative manufacturers have made a transition to a newer
preservative: CA (Copper Azole.) CA is also effective for decades,
reducing demands on forest resources.
2. WHAT
INGREDIENTS MAKE UP CA?
Copper is the
principal active ingredient, protecting against termites and fungal
decay. Protection against copper-tolerant fungi is provided by
tebuconazole which has been approved by EPA regulations and industry
standards.
3. IS SPECIAL
HANDLING REQUIRED?
Although termites,
fungus and destructive micro-organisms detest treating chemicals, in
pressure-treated wood, it’s clean, emits NO fumes and is nonirritating.
Our Safe Handling Information Sheet outlines specific handling tips. A
copy is available at your retailer/dealer, or visit our web site.
The single most important precaution is DO NOT BURN TREATED WOOD.
Burning treated wood releases the chemical bond with wood cells, so
dispose of scraps and sawdust with your landfill trash. Wear
gloves when handling treated lumber. And always wear safety goggles and
a dust mask when sawing or cutting treated lumber just as you would with
untreated lumber.
4. HOW SAFE IS
TREATED WOOD?
Very safe when used
as directed. The preservative injected into lumber reacts with the wood
substance to form an insoluble complex. It won’t evaporate or
vaporize. Treated wood is clean, odorless, non-staining, safe to work
with and handle. Its locked-in protection is nonirritating to children,
adults, animals and plants. The minute amounts of preservative
released over time due to wear-off of the product or water contact have
been carefully studied. The conclusion is clear: it is safe for the
environment and safe for people and pets.
5. CAN PRESERVED
WOOD BE USED INDOORS?
Treated wood may be
used indoors for any application except cutting boards and countertops.
6. WHY CAN I USE
PRESSURE TREATED WOOD FOR A PICNIC TABLE AND NOT A COUNTERTOP?
Simply because
picnic tables are primarily used for serving prepared food while a
kitchen countertop is used primarily as a cutting surface for raw food.
7. CAN TREATED
WOOD BE USED IN GARDENING?
Yes. Treated
timbers used to construct raised vegetable and flowerbeds are
increasingly popular and practical. Recent scientific tests prove that
the preservative does not significantly leach into surrounding soil.
And treated wood used for tomato stakes, flowerbed edging, planters,
retaining walls, trellises, and compost bins have the added advantage of
lifetime durability.
8. CAN ALL TREE
SPECIES BE TREATED?
Three species of
pine – southern yellow, ponderosa and red – are most open to treating.
Some softwoods – spruces, hem/fir, larches, Douglas fir – benefit from
incising (cutting small slits across the grain) to aid chemical
penetration and treatment retention. Most hardwoods are too dense and
complex to be treatable.
9. I SOMETIMES
FIND TAGS STAPLED TO THE END OF TREATED LUMBER I BUY. WHAT’S THAT ALL
ABOUT?
Escue Wood
Preserving places end tags on all of its pressure-treated products to
ensure that our customers know key information about the product such as
the type of warranty, whether it is for use in direct ground contact or
only above ground applications, and where applicable, information needed
for acceptance by local building codes. Many of these tags on our
treated wood products even have detailed information on the safe
handling of our pressure-treated products, the same information
contained in the Safe Handling Information Sheet.
10. WHAT DOES “PCF
TREATMENT” MEAN? DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE KIND OF TREATED
LUMBER I SHOULD USE?
Treatment levels
are measured in pounds of chemical injected per cubic foot (pcf) of
wood. Additionally, our tags will always state “above ground” (.10
retention) or “ground contact” (.21 retention) so you can be sure you
are using the right material for the job. Higher levels of
retention are available for special purposed such as extensive
moisture/earthen contact – e.g. in foundations, pole barns, fresh &
saltwater docks, culverts, etc.
11. ANY
SUGGESTIONS WHEN BUILDING WITH TREATED LUMBER?
One quite important
one: Use hot-dip galvanized meeting ASTM-A153/A653, 304 or 316
stainless steel or other fasteners, otherwise, your treated wood will
last longer than the unprotected fasteners you’ve used to put it
together. Do not use preserved wood in direct contact with aluminum. A
poly barrier is recommended for any applications where treated lumber
will meet aluminum flashing.
12. I CUT THE END
OFF OF MY CA TREATED WOOD, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT ISN’T TREATED IN THE
MIDDLE. DO I HAVE A BAD PIECE OF TREATED WOOD?
No. Escue Wood
Preserving looks to the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB) for
defining quality treatment for our CA pressure-treated wood products.
Products treated in strict conformance with SPIB standards will have
some wood which appears “untreated” if the wood is end-cut after
treatment. Most commonly, this is heartwood which is naturally decay
resistant. This is not an indication that the wood was not properly
treated, and you do not need to be concerned. With the exception of
some Western species, these end-cuts do not require any special
treatment. (See Limited Warranty for details.)
Lumber and timber
which are used in above ground applications and are of sapwood species
such as southern, red or ponderosa pine, generally do not require
treatment to provide a good service life. Other heartwood species,
typically found in the Western US, should be field treated when cut or
drilled. If you are concerned about wood exposed due to cutting or
drilling, you can use a brush-applied preservative. Home centers and
lumberyards often carry bush-applied preservative systems based on two
different active chemicals: either copper naphtehnate or IPBC
(3-iodo2-propynyl butyl carbamate). These systems should be applied, in
accordance with their labels, to any surface exposed by damage or field
fabrication.
Users should
carefully read and follow the instructions and precautions listed on the
preservative system label when using them.
13. AFTER MY
PROJECT IS BUILT, IS ANY SPECIAL MAINTENANCE NECESSARY?
Left unfinished,
treated wood ages gracefully, eventually softening to an attractive
driftwood gray. On flat surfaces such as decks, however, leaves and
other debris may collect and create unsightly stains. Even if your
lumber has the locked-in protection of factory applied water repellent,
you’ll want to follow an annual maintenance program that includes a
semitransparent stain of a sealant which contains an ultraviolet
stabilizer. If you stain your project, a quality penetrating latex or
oil base stain is recommended.
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