Aggressive campaign to promote pressure treated wood has begun

By Richard E. Gardner President Western Wood Preservers Institute

RESSURE TREATED wood is r now being aggressively promoted and marketed for use in outdoor residential projects where other materials have traditionally been used.

The main thrust of this effort is an ambitious promotional campaign being conducted by the Western Wood Preservers Institute, the association of pressure treaters throughout the West. The campaign represents an extension of marketing efforts that have been taking place in the rest of the country for several years.

Pressure treated wood is particularly well suited for all outdoor projects in the West because it has, literally, been preserved to prevent decay and damage from termites. Members of the western pressure treatment industry have been marketing pressure treated lumber for a wide range of outdoor uses for many years. We are convinced that treated wood is the ideal material for any type of outdoor construction, especially ground contact use. It has proved its ability to remain durable in the rains of the Northwest and the coastal areas of California, where decay is prevalent. And it has proved resistant to termites throughout the southwestern states.

The specific product that we are now urging lumber yards and home improvement centers to stock is comprised of western woods in abundant supply. Pressure treatment makes it unusable for food by fungi, the micro-organisms that cause decay (or rot), as well as termites.

The Forest Products Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has concluded after extensive tests that wood that has been pressure treated properly can last "in excess of 50 years when exposed to the elements in temperate climates (USDA Forest Service General Technical Report FPL-

15)." That's a strong endorsement.

It is widely acknowledged by builders and code authorities that pressure treated wood is ideal for any outdoor residential situation, including ground contact.

The Uniform Building Code requires that wood used in important structural members in ground contact be pressure treated. All model building codes throughout the United States, as well as the Federal Housing Administration, recognize the use of wood pressure treated by waterborne preservatives in situations where wood may be subject to attack from fungi or termites.

Story at a Glance

Western wood treaters are going after the outdoor residential proiects market long dominated bY redwood...

stresses cost, mance and availabilitY of pressure treated wood.

Of paramount importance to You is the opportunity for new profits from marketing a product that is economical for almost any outdoor project of the home. You will find that customers who thought theY could not afford to install a sundeck or a fence during this period of high prices will be eager to move ahead with their building plans when our product is offered.

You will, in fact, find yourself in the enviable position of providing a durable and affordable building material for your customers at the same time you are cashing in on expanding profits in the pressure treated market.

I think it would be helpful at this point to give you a quick summary of the pressure treating process, because knowledge of the process makes it easy to understand why

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