Treated wood's longevity adds to the bottom line

INCREASED interest in pressure ltreated wood products for deck construction is one change building product retailers can live with and benefit from. Treated products give retailers readily available, economical alternatives to offer customers - dt€rnatives that can last a lifetime.

The availability and price of cedar and redwood have played a part in the growth of treated products. Not long ago, these woods were standard for decking use, but relatively little old growth cedar and redwood is available today. New growth heartwood offers some protection from insect attack, but it is often cost prohibitive.

Story at a Glance

Treated wood can rePlace redwood and cedar for decks ways to sell confidence of long life and insect resistance.

Today's redwood buyers usually choose lower grades that contain higher anounts of sapwood with little resistance o decay and temfte asack.

Understructure materials specifred for decks also are changing. Althongh in many areas, the vast majority of decks me built on concrete pier blocks to avoid ground contact with wood, protection from decay and termite attack is still a corrcern in exterior wood construction. A transition from untreated species to pressure treated species can solve the problem.

The durability of treated wsod hns been underscored by an extensive and expanding number of county and municipal building codes requiring pressure treated wood for use in decks. Althougb building inspectors, builders and architects in arid states are less familiar with the benefits of treated wood, the Eend is becoming evident.

Product specifiers are beginning to realize that many man-created elements, such as the moisture from

Facts on Treated

r Treated wood accounted for appoximately 215% of the timber industry's total value of shipments in l9l.

More than 550 million cubic feet of lumber and industrial wood products were treatcd in 1991.

o Shipments in l99l were valued at $2.5 billion, 1.7% above 190 and exports were valued at $505 million.

o About 565 plants in 48 states treat wood.

lawn sprinkling systems and ornamental vegetation in contact with wood, can foster ideal settings for decay. Even arid stat€s have drywood termites which thrive with minimal moisture and easily invade unprotected wood.

Longevity is the bottom line: freated wood lasts longer.