What you should know about pressure treated wood

IfRESSURE TREATED lumber

F- is a building materid with a wide range of applications.

Because its increased use in decks, fences, retaining walls, walks and other outdoor projects has created more interest in its properties, Ifte Merchant went to the Western Wood Preserver's Institute for answers to its uses, applications, properties and other commercial factors.

The following is a series of questions and answers designed to bring to light more information on pressure treated wood and its properties.

Q: What is pressure treated wood?

A: Pressure treated wood is wood that has been impregnated with a preservative in a process that forces the chemicals under pressure deeply into the wood. The preservatives are locked permanently into the wood and are present in sufficient quantities to deter attack by insects (termites) and decay (fungi).

Q: Will wood used in outdoor landscaping projects be attacked by insects and decay?

A: Yes! Termites are active in many areas. They will attack wood in exposed landscape structures more readily than wood used in interior residential construction.

The heartwood (darker interior portion of the tree) of all woods has some natural durability. The heartwoods of some species, such as redwood and cedar, are more durable than other untreated species, however, this natural durability is extremely variable.

Q: How long will the treated wood last?

A: Pressure treated wood is classified by FHA, Uniform Building Code, and other authorities as a permanent building material. The Forest Products Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has concluded wood that has been pressure treated properly can last in excess of 50 years.

Q: Is pressure treated wood safe?

A: Yes. The preservatives are safe for normal contact by humans and animals. These treatments have been usedsuccessfully and safely throughout the world for over 40 years.

Q: Are there different levels of preservative treatment?

A: Yes. Depth of penetration and amount of preservative injected into the wood(retention) can vary substantially. Different levels are specified depending upon use. For outdoor home projects, two levels of treatment are available. LP-2 wood is treated to a minimum retention of .25lbs. per cubic foot. This is recommended for above-ground use and definitely should not be used for ground contact. LP-22 wood is treated to a minimum retention of .40 lbs. per cubic foot and can be used in ground contact.

Q: Is there a marking system for pressure treated wood?

A: Yes. All wood intended for outdoor use should bear the LP-22 mark of theAmerican Wood Preservers Bureau, the quality control agency for the wood preserving industry, or the mark of agencies approved by the building code.

Story at a Glance

Q: What about treatments where wood is sprayed or dipped?

A: Such treatments are not permanent and provide only superficial protection against decay and termites. Spraying and dipping are not approved by the building code.

Q: Is there any leaching of the preservatives out of the wood?

A: Essentially none. The preservatives have a low solubility level to water and consequently do not leach out of wood.

Q: What are some of the reasons to use pressure treated wood?

A: (1) Pressure treated wood lasts longer than untreated wood.

(2) Pressure treated wood doesn't need painting or staining, although it will take most finishes.

(3) Pressure treated wood costs less than heartwood grades of redwood and cedar sold for yard and landscaping use.

(4) Pressure treated wood looks good. It weathers to attractive light shades of green/brown and darkens substantially less than untreated woods.

(5) Pressure treated wood protects against termites and decay and reduces slipperiness frequently associated with untreated wood.

(6) Pressure treated wood can be used in contact with the ground and is approved by the building code for this use.

(7) Pressure treated wood is specified by a large and ever increasing number of architects and engineers for dependability.

(E) Pressure treated wood helps save our forests by lengthening the useful life of wood structures. Treated wood utilizes species that are readily available.

(9) Pressure treated wood avoids costly replacement costs.

The big knives are out as the struggle for profitability and control of ailing Wickes Cos. continues; Sanford C. Sigoloff, a turnaround expert sometimes called "Mr. Chapter ll," is now in charge, 4top Wickes execs. are out, including longtime chief E.L. McNeely and John V. Drum, who was pres. for 13 days; some observers believe lenders forcedtheshakeup....

Mill, wholesaler and retailer closures and bankruptcies continue across the West: retailer Gibson Lumber, Albuquerque, N.M., is in court supervised liquidation; Burnoby Lumber, Compton, Ca., is voluntarily liquidating, the result of poor builder business and the collapse of negotiations earlier with the Al Peirce Co., Coos Bay, Or., which has sold its mill, wholesale operations, retaining only Or. timberlands and 2 shipping docks . .

Knollwood Corp., Healdsburg, Ca., has voluntarily closed its doors; Fuller Redwood, Sacramento, Ca., has retired from business and auctioned off its mill machinery and trucks . . Empire Pacific, Tigard, Or., has closed its Salem, Or., distribution center . . . Davidson Industries, Mapleton, Or., has closed its Saratoga, Ca., office . .

Latest sawmill employment y'gs. show 20Vo off the job, with 37Va on curtailed shifts . Jan. sales of new single family homes sagged 22.8V0, the 2nd lowest level on record . a Conference Board consumer survey shows confidencefellinFeb. .lumber production in Jan. (latest figs.) was 2.9V0 below Dec., 3l.6Vo behind the year esrlier .

Pacific Lumber Co. has moved into handsome new quarters at 500 Washington St., San Francisco, Ca., after being at ll11

Columbus Ave. for years Marquart-Wolfe Lumber Co. has sold its Orange, Ca., distribution yard and moved to new offices in Tustin.Ca....

Canyon Timber Products, Myrtle Creek, Or., is a new wholesale firm opened by "Bud" Moore, former sales mgr. for C&D Lumber, Riddle, Or., Den Mar Forest Praducts, Auburn, Ca., is a new wholesale co. begun by Jerry Edwards, formerly with California Sugar & Western Pine Agency Calico Lumber Co. is a new Livermore. Ca., retailfirm started by Greg Sears, Kerry Taylor, Darrel Burgess and Bill Lyons . .

A hefty jump in multi-family housing offset an 11Vo decline in single family home construction to bring in the latest housing start figs at 953,000 units on a seasonally adjusted annual basis; weak, butstil/ the hiphest level sinceJuly...

For the 4th mo. in a row, bldg. permits were up, just barely, 0.7V0 ahead of the previous mo. . . . despite the increase, it was the 7th mo. in a row below the I million.mark, prompting one economist to remark, "I'm not going to go home and get drunk tonight because of the numbers."

Internotional Paper Co. is seeking bids for its No. Ca. land and timber holdings and its Weed, Ca., wood products facility . . A 1976 Az. antitrusr suit against Kaiser Cement Corp. and the Portlsnd Cement Associotion hasbeen dismissed with Az. ordered to pay the two defendants $379,000 in aftorney's fees and costs

Co., Dallas, Tx. . . Lone Stor Industries (cement) has agreed to buy Marquette Co., the cement producing subsidiary of Gulf & Western Industries Inc.. for $245 million in cash, stock and notes . Croman Corp., Medford, Or., has agreed in principle to purchase the McGrew Brothers Sowmill, Ashland, Or., leasing the facilities until a final purchase agreement is reached

Arcota Corp. has accepted an offer made by Edward L. Scarff & Wayne L. Prim, board members and major stockholders, to acquire it for $335 million

Weyerhaeuser Co. paneling operations, including those at Cucamonga, Ca., have been formed into a single group in Chesapeake, Va.

Johns-Msnville Corp. has closed its Vernon, Ca., roofing plant which has operated since 1929, blaming low demand due to depressed housing GAF Corp. has responded favorably to wooing by several unidentified major corps., retaining Morgan Stanley & Co. to pursue a merger or sale of its building materials business . .

McKenzieTrading Co. has moved into a new 24,000 sq. ft. facility in Eugene, Or., where they mfg. d-i-y paneling and cedar products and wholesale lumber Reibe and Assoc. has been named exclusive rep. and distributor in Co. & Wy. for Standard Structures, Inc. .

Na t io nol Ma r ket in s has moved from Portland to new offices in Lake Oswego, Or. . Gary Malfatti is a new partner with Gordy Martin at Martin Forest Industries, Santa Rosa, Ca. . .

Reid & Wright is operating its Arcata, Ca., mill at full capacity despite $30,000 in fire damage to the mill bldg. Pacific Southwest Forest Products, Diamond Springs, Ca., with Jack Jenkins, has open ed Jenkins Forest Producls, Auburn , Ca., to