Everyone's Ghecking Out New Tleated Wood Program reffi!'@t @@

Last year, the Western Wood Preservers Institute introduced the CheckMark quality assurance identification program for treated wood products.

The mark would help industry professionals easily recognize and distinguish treated products under the American Lumber Standard Committee treated wood quality assurance program. In order to comply with the Uniform Building Code, treated wood must be marked by an ALSC accredited agency.

Since the program's introduction, enthusiasm has been building fast. All five AlSC-accredited agencies in the West-Bode Inspection, Califomia Lumber Inspection Service,

AFTER BEING quic*ly inmrporated on tags from the five grading agencies in the West, the Western Wood Preseruers lnstilute's CheckMark is now being adopled by groups across the country.

Canadian Softwood Inspection, McCutchan Inspection and Timber Products-immediately signed up to use the logo. Since then, the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau and Florida Lumber Inspection Service have also requested use of the mark. What was intended to be a western only program rapidly turned into a national effort.

WWPI predicts that this year potentially all treated wood intended for structural applications could cany the mark.

"The reason for its rapid acceptance was an urgent need for it," said

Jerry Parks, director of marketing services for WWPI.

Before the CheckMark, code officials were confused about what to look for on treated wood. Since each agency has its own unique mark, and because their marks are located in different positions within the stamps or tags, they were not easy to recognize or find.

"Now, it's simple," explained Parks. "Just look for the CheckMark icon and the agency's mark is right next to it."