Lessons in "Outdoor Wood"
Treated wood is used fordecks, mailbox and light posts, swing sets and playscapes, picnic tables,landscape ties, underwater dock pilings, oceanside boardwalks, telephone utilitypoles and, believe it or not, residential building foundations in some parts ofthe country!
You can purchase pressure-treated (PT) wood as lumber, boards, posts, andeven plywood! Its unique ability to fend off decay makes it ideal in any highmoisture and/or ground contact installations.
Yet, there is much misinformation, and, in some cases, disinformationconcerning pressure-treated wood, its maintenance requirements, and its safetyin common use. Let's explore the story of pressure-treated wood, and togetherseek out the truth.
If you wonder whether you should use PT wood for a raised garden frame, clickHERE.
What is pressure-treated wood?
Over 70 years ago, Dr. Karl Wolman invented the process of infusingpreservative deeply into wood products. Today, a giant industry has grown uparound his quest to invent a wood that can last forever.
Pressure treating is a process that forces a chemical preservative deep intothe wood. The wood product is placed into a humongous cylindrical holding tank,and the tank is depressurized to remove all air. The tank is then filled withthe preservative under high pressure, forcing it deeply into the wood. The tankis then drained and the remaining preservative reused. The wood is removed fromthe tank and prepared for shipment to your local lumberyard.
Needless to say, this process makes the wood quite unappetizing to allvermin, insects, and fungus, which accounts for its 20 year plus lifespan underthe harshest conditions!
Currently, there are twelve levels of pressure treatment. These arebased on the intended use of the product. This chart is courtesy theAmerican Wood-Preserver's Association(AWPA):
| Use Category | Brief Description |
| UC1 | Interior Dry |
| UC2 | Interior Damp |
| UC3A | Exterior Above Ground, Coated with Rapid Water Runoff |
| UC3B | Exterior Above Ground, Uncoated or Poor Water Runoff |
| UC4A | Ground Contact, General Use |
| UC4B | Ground Contact, Heavy Duty |
| UC4C | Ground Contact, Extreme Duty |
| UC5A | Marine Use, Northern Waters (Salt or Brackish Water) |
| UC5B | Marine Use, Central Waters (Salt or Brackish Water) |
| UC5C | Marine Use, Southern Waters (Salt or Brackish Water) |
| UCFA | Interior Above Ground Fire Protection |
| UCFB | Exterior Above Ground Fire Protection |
This information is required to be posted on each board and is eithermarked with ink on the board or on a plastic tag that is stapled onto the end ofeach treated board. Generally speaking,this is not something for you to be concerned with, since your local lumberyardswill only carry the types suitable to your climate. Always let thesalesman know the eventual location of the PT lumber... above, on or belowgrade... so that you can make the best purchase!
What is the chemical preservative used, and is it dangerous?
Until 2003, the preservative most commonly used in residentialpressure-treated lumberwas chromated copper arsenate (CCA), an extremely toxic chemical. Remember"Arsenic and Old Lace"? How about that old box of rat poison you havelurking in the garage? CCA is so toxic that the Environmental Protection Agency,over 20 years ago, imposed strict guidelines regarding the manufacturingpractices of companies using CCA.
However, one must distinguish between the toxicity of the chemical and thetoxicity of the wood product in everyday use. Extensive studies were donesince the mid 1980's concerning the potential dangers of pressure-treated wood,and rightfully so! Large volumes of CCA were being used, and the treated woodproducts were beginning to be widely distributed, justifying the need for somehard research.
The research was mixed, but the typical hysteria ensued as attorneys andplaintiffs lined up to claim damages from exposure to CCA. In the end, theindustry agreed to voluntarily eliminate use of CCA for residential use.CCA is still being used in certain marine and industrial applications since itis still the best preservative available at the present time.
The new alternatives to arsenic-based preservatives.
Your local home store or lumberyard is now selling lumber treated with lesstoxic alternatives... amine copper quat (ACQ) and copper azole(CA)... though you may find other chemical combinations in specific areas.The reason these new copper-based alternatives are considered safer thanarsenic-based preservatives is based on the human body's inability to absorb thesepoisons. Inorganic arsenic is readily absorbable by the body.
Whether these new chemicals will turn out to be less hazardous in the longterm is anyone's guess, but all indications are that they will be. Fingerscrossed!
Is the copper-based preservative as good as thearsenic-based preservative?
Yes, from what I've read overall the replacements are equivalent, butcopper-based preservatives are mucho more expensive. To keep PT woodaffordable,manufacturers are lowering the amount of preservative for boards used in lessdemanding applications. For example, 5/4" boards typically used fordecking will receive less preservative than 2x boards which will be rated forabove ground use. 4x4 and 6x6 and larger beams and posts will receive aground contact rating.
What that means is if your lumberyard does not carry 2x lumber with theproper amount of preservative (for ground contact) and you use it for a raisedgarden or bury it, you might find the material rotting in short order.Albeit not as quickly as untreated lumber, but far from the decade plus that theolder PT wood could last.
Are there any special considerations when using woodwith a copper-based preservative?
Following the safety rules (below) regarding cleanup should be sufficient.However, these newer products are extremely corrosive to steel and aluminum.Fasteners and construction hangers/ties should be rated for use with the newwood. Any aluminum flashing should be covered with an impervious layer ofa non-corrosive material such as tar paper or non-permeable plastic sheets toprevent contact with the wood.
If CCA is potentially dangerous, should I tear out myold deck? It's otherwise in great shape.
Absolutely not. Existing decks pose no danger and, in fact, tearingthem out may release more chemical than leaving them in place! (See thesafety precautions below.)
The EPA has stated that applying a penetrating oil finish asneeded to pressure-treated wood surfaces (that have human contact) can lessen oreliminate human and animal exposure to CCA in existing decks. Studies doneto date show a dramatic decrease in the amount of arsenic at the surface of thewood for periods up to two years when compared with unsealed wood.
What are the safety precautions regarding use of pressure-treated wood?
- The sawdust from pressure-treated wood can be an irritant to the nose, eyes, and skin.
Use of a dust mask and eye protection is highly recommended. Prevent contact with the skin as much as possible. - Try to collect as much of the sawdust as possible for disposal.
If possible, do most of your cutting in a specified location, and lay a heavy disposable plastic tarp under your saws or sawhorses. Use of a tarp is especially valuable if you must cut in an area that you cannot easily sweep, such as a lawn. Actually, this is a cleanup timesaver you can use even when cutting ordinary boards, especially if you generate large amounts of dust, as in making rip cuts! - Pressure-treated wood should not be burned except by professionals.
Other products that are on thedo-not-burn list are plywood, particleboard, chipboard and painted or finished wood. To be fair, there was one government study that did not find any more toxicity in the smoke from pressure-treated wood than from regular wood. The ash, though, was definitely more toxic, because the arsenic does not burn off. So you wouldn't want to add this ash to soil or your compost heap. All of us who have heated their homes with wood know how the ash is everywhere and on everything! - Do not use pressure-treated wood for making cutting boards, or for any food preparation surface.
Picnic tables made of pressure-treated wood have become common, and are fine to use for the purpose they were intended... to serve food on (or play cards on), not to prepare food on! They shouldbe coated as needed with an oil-based wood preservative (not paint or opaque stain) to seal in thechemical preservative. - Pressure-treated wood is intended for outdoor use only!
There are a few exceptions to this rule, though you should check with your local building inspector to be sure. First is the use of pressure-treated wood in place of Douglas fir for sill plates in new construction. Sill plates are the lowest framing boards in a wood home. They are bolted to the top of the foundation (so the next windstorm doesn't hurl your house to Oz!), and the house is erected onto them. Dampness in the poured concrete foundation can be absorbed by the sill plate, making it attractive to carpenter ants and termites. pressure-treated wood is resistant to termites and unappetizing to ants, so its use can help convince the little critters to go next door for dinner.The second is for so-called permanent wood foundations, and the third is to replace the bottom plate on wall framing in basem*nts or other below grade applications, especially when the bottom plate is resting directly on a concrete foundation subject to dampness. In both these cases, PT wood is essential to prevent rot and lengthen the life of the job.
Why does pressure-treated wood need to becoated with a preservative? If it's so dang tough, why bother?
Though the infused preservative prevents rot, it does not inhibit weathering...
The effectsof the elements on pressure-treated wood are no different than with ordinarywood. So a preservative is a must, and should be applied as soon as possibleafter your project is completed.
Rapid drying causes warping, cracking and splintering...
Pressure-treated lumber is shipped to the lumberyard in stacks that are tightly bundledand damp... sometimes even wet. If you go and pick through a bin ofpressure-treated lumber, you will see some pieces are straight, and others moderately towildly warped. The warped pieces are invariably the pieces that were on theoutside of the bundle... exposed to the sun and air and dried on one side. Oncethe bundle is broken they twist like Chubby Checker!
Once installed in your project and subjected to freely moving air and thesun, the same effect occurs. Shrinkage of deck boards can be excessive, in bothlength and width, and twisting can loosen railings and floor boards. Railingscan become cracked and splintery, making them uncomfortable to use.
Health and safety...
A certain amount of PT preservative will leach to the surface of the woodover time. Applying a coating every year or two (once the rain stopsbeading) greatly lessens the amount of preservative that leaches to the surface.
Applying a preservative slows drying and inhibits shrinkage and helpsmaintain a smoother surface to the wood. The sun takes no prisonersand even pressure treated wood needs protection from it. Remember, thepreservative protects the wood from mold and mildew, not good old Sol! The preservative should be appliedimmediately upon completion of the project or within a month or so if the woodis especially wet. Be sure that the preservative youpurchase is recommended for use with pressure-treated wood. More about thisin the next section...
Can pressure-treated wood be painted or stained? Definitely!
Stains first...
Many manufacturers carry fulllines of both oil and latex products that can be used on pressure-treated wood.According to the folks at Cuprinol,you should wait at least one to two months before staining. You may apply a clear preservative immediately, but it must be a productmanufactured for use on fresh pressure-treated lumber. One suchproduct is Wolman Oil-Base RainCoat Clear Water Repellant.
What about painting? Don't even think aboutpainting fresh pressure-treated wood!
The moisture in it "stacks the deck" againstgood paint adhesion. Seal your project with a pressure-treated wood preservativeimmediately. Follow the preservative's instructions regarding future painting,making special note of the amount of time the preservative should weather beforepainting.
Applying a sealer can protect against CCA exposure...
According to the EPA, studies show that the application of apenetrating oil finish can reduce or eliminate exposure to CCA in older decksand to the chemicals used in newer decks. So it is recommended that allpressure-treated surfaces that have human contact be coated with an oil finishas needed. It has been noted in some studies that paints and opaqueexterior stains do not offer the protection of stains that are absorbed moredeeply into the wood.
Tips for working with pressure-treated wood...
- Predrill any nail or screw holes within an inch of the end of the board.
This lessens the chance of splitting the board while fastening it. Even if it doesn't split when you initially fasten it down without predrilling, it will very likely do so later as the wood dries out. - Use the right fasteners.
Use only screws or nails that are galvanized and designed for use with the newer copper-based pressure-treated wood. - Do not allow any space between boards when laying in a deck floor.
Putting spacers between floor boards is the amateur's biggest mistake. pressure-treated wood shrinks, even if you coat it with a preservative! Years ago when it first came on the market, people installed deck floors like good old untreated Douglas Fir, installing the boards with spacers between them. Wood shrinkage typically caused 3/4" or wider gaps in the floor... just the right width to snap off a high heel! - Can deck posts be buried?
Yes, if they are rated for ground contact. This is dependant on local codes. Some do not allow the burial of posts under any circ*mstances and they must be set on (or physically attached to) concrete footings.
Should I install a pressure treated wood deck with theboards "bark up" or "bark down"?
There has been lots of debate on this issue because of a process called"cupping". Cupping refers to the tendency of a board to bend across itswidth as it dries. Ideally, you would want all the deck boards to cupdownwards so any rain would run off them rather than collect on the wood.
Some people assert that the ONLY way to install deck board is "bark down".The rationale is that a board in laboratory conditions resting across a coupleof sawhorses will tend to cup towards the bark side as it dries out. Thisis undisputed fact and this principle used in cabinetmaking when edge-joiningboards so the cupping in one board is counteracted by the reverse orientation ofthe next board and so on and so on. This would make you think that wooddecks should be installed with the bark side down, right? If it were onlythat simple.
The truth is not all boards react in the "wild" as they do in the laboratoryor the woodworking shop. For example, unlike redwood or cedar which areinstalled dry, pressure-treated wood is installed damp or even soaking wet!The excess moisture from the preservative treatment can cause excess cupping asit dries, whether it is installed with the bark up or down! In otherwords, the simple drying action of the sun and wind can cause the top of theboard to dry faster than the bottom, causing cupping regardless of the exposedtop.
I used to think that bark up was the rule, but over the years I've come torealize that it doesn't matter as much as I thought. So now I use a coupleof general principles to determine which side of the board will be the top.
- The first and often the most important is to observe the amountof cupping already occurring on the board. Most boards rightfrom the lumberyard will show at least a small amount of cupping. Byinstalling these boards so the peak of the cup is upwards, the board willtend to flatten out as it dries.
- Coat your deck surface with a clear preservative as soon as possible.Sealing the top of the deck surface slows down the rate of evaporation somost of the evaporation will occur on the underside of the deck, causing theboard to peak upwards... your desired result.
- If you are unsure and the board is very flat to begin with, go with yourgut and put the best looking side of the wood up. Based on theconflicting information out there, you've got a 50-50 chance of beingright!
