looking good

n NE of the biggest selling points

Vfor pressure treated wood at the retail level is something the consumer never sees and may not even be aware of - protection against black mold and mildew. Pressure treated wood that has been protected with a moldicide will be cleaner, more attractive and more saleable. Because the typical end uses for pressure treated lumber are in decks, landscaping and other outdoor improvement projects, cosmetic appearance can be as important for sales as the structural properties. Dirty looking woodwood stained from patches of black moldwill end up as pick throughs. Ultimately this is costly for the retailer, either as waste or through selling the leftovers at a reduced price.

Story at a Glance

Lumber pressure treated with a mold inhibitor is immuneto black mold and mildew. cleaner looking wood sells better. dealers can request moldicide treatment.

With retailers moving over 80% of the treated industry's volume, according to the Southern Forest Products Association, it is important for the wood industry to understand the retailer's problems and help to overcome them.

Black mold on pressure treated products starts in the treater's yard. Moisture from the preservative solution cannot escape when freshly treated lumber is dead packed and stored. This creates an ideal environment for the growth of black mold. The fungus originates from airborne spores that are literally everywhere, in northern as well as southern regions of the country.

Black mold lives on moisture in the pack. It does not actually feed on wood fiber. For this reason, the CCA preservative in the wood does not retard black mold growth. However, protection against black mold is available through a different family of chemicals, called mold inhibitors, that can be added to the preservative solution.

A number of companies serving the treated wood industry supply mold inhibitors, although the use of the chemicals has by no means become an industry standard. However, mold inhibitor use is a growing trend, for several good reasons.

The volume of mold inhibitor required for activity against black mold and mildew is low. Rentokil SupaTimber, Inc.. Norcross. Ga.. a mold inhibitor supplier, recommends a dosage of only one gallon per 1500 gallons of treatment solution. This translates into an added treatment cost ofabout $l per 1000 board feet.

The protection achieved at that dosage will last for three months to a year, depending on conditions. This typically is enough time for the wood to move through distribution. Once the pack is opened and exposed to light and air, allowing it to dry, the conditions that promote black mold are no longer present.

According to Tom Fitzgerald, national sales manager for Rentokil SupaTimber, use of a mold inhibitor can also benefit the treater through increased storage life, allowing him to build up inventory ahead of anticipated business.

The retailer can't use the mold inhibitor directly, since it must be added at the time of pressure treatment. For distributors and retailers, the only way to assure that they are getting a product that has been protected from black mold is to specify wood that has been treated with a mold inhibitor when they place their orders for pressure treated products.