Say Bye Bye to CCA Pressure Treated Wood.

[dmccarty]

I heard about that the EPA was phasing out CCA pressure treated wood on a commercial
of the evening news. I never saw the story but I found this on the EPA website.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.epa.gov/epahome/headline_021202.htm>http://www.epa.gov/epahome/headline_021202.htm</A>

What is totally messed up with this is that there seems to be very little reason
for withdrawing the product from residential use. The Q/A's on the website
say that if you already have CCA PT wood in your kids playset, landscaping
timbers, etc. don't worry about it.

If we don't have to worry about the stuff that is already in use why prevent
its further use?

I did some reading on CCA PT wood a few months back and while it has some
problems its the only product that really seems to protect wood from bugs and
rot. The other product that I know about, borate(sp), based is very water soluable
so is limited in its application.

Any one know anything else about replacement for CCA PT wood.

What is really funny is that the EPA recommends using redwood and
cypress. Sure takes a lot long to grow those trees that yellow pine...

FYI,
Dan McCarty

 

[Knight9]

Saw a story on this on our news here last night. Seems that Canada is also planning to phase out CCA pressure treated over 2 years. They interviewed a lot of "lobbyists" who spoke about the dangers etc, but then interviewed the national safety folks who stated that there is absolutely zero scientific evidence that the arsenic in CCA has a negative impact on people.

The news cast made the same statement you did. "Don't rush out and tear down your backyard playground, but try not to use CCA wood in your new construction." That will not fly around here where pressure treated is the ONLY reasonably priced choice for resistant lumber. The synthetics are too expensive still and cedar and its kind are horribly expensive also.

Guess we'll wait and see.

Kevin

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

First I've heard about it. Guess I'd better hurry up and get my deck and porch built. Maybe buy and store a few posts just in case I want a tractor barn later. It's going to make pole barns and wooden foundations real difficult.

Doesn't surprise me. A couple years back the EPA was complaining about BBQ grills and chainsaws. Can you imagine a 4 cycle chainsaw? My first chainsaw was a 2 cycle about the size of a shopping cart. If the EPA has their way, my next saw could be the same size.

I'll keep my ears open. I've got Con-ed in mid-March and there'll probably be about 100 of us there, someone is likely to specialize in EPA requirements and will know more.

SHF

 

[PhilNH5]

I don't know what will replace CCA but I have a warning for the plastic-type wood.
My neighbor had a deck surfaced with some of the plastic-wood. Don't want to mention any names. He put the deck on in the summer and it seemed like a great product - never have to paint, stain or otherwise treat it.
As the summer turned to fall the dew on the deck made it as slippery as ice. I mean slick. It is dangerous as all heck. Then when winter set in he found out that it could get even slicker. I refuse to walk on it and go to the front door which is less convient. He paid so much for the decking he doesn't want to rip it up. But it certainly is a hazard when it gets the slightest bit wet.

Phil

 

[BB_TX]

Home Depot announced they would quit selling it by approx. Jan 2004. The date could vary depending on the availability of a "suitable alternative" whatever that turns out to be.
Although they is no proven safety hazard yet, I suppose it is better to discontinue it before there are several million more board feet of it out there and it is proven.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

From what I was told they use a cyanide in the treatment and if kids eat the sawdust when people cut the pt lumber they can get sick from it. I do not know how sick but it is enough for them to ban it. I have not heard of any replacement for it yet and it will probally take a couple years to develope a new treatment for the wood. Don't stock up on treated wood as all it will do is twist and warp and you will have a junk pile. Pressure treated wood is extremly wet when it leaves the plant and unless you use it right away it will start to dry and then it is worthless, we buy bent and twisted 4x4's from our lumber yards to use as post for our fence and get them for about half price and the yards always have more to sell us if we need it. Worse comes to worse just use regular lumber and oil treat the bottom that will be in the ground. Later.

 

[Knight9]

<font color=blue>if kids eat the sawdust when people cut the pt lumber they can get sick from it</font color=blue>

I'm thinking that eating the sawdust from the plastic composite lumber can't be too good for you either!!! /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Kevin

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Not cyanide, but Chromate (chromium & oxygen), Copper, Arsenic. Check this <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.epa.gov/epahome/headline_021202.htm>article on the EPA site</A>.

I built one of my dogs a sleeping platform out of <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.fibercomposites.com/>Fiberon synthetic decking</A> to get him off the concrete kennel floor. Not cheap, but he chews everything else I tried, and it is only 42" x 28". The material isn't as strong as wood, but is very heavy. So far it seems to work very well. I selected this particular synthetic material from the many available because my local Home Depot had it in stock when I was trying to figure out what to do.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Sorry, thought I made the correction to Chromated Copper Arsenate, i.e. chromium, copper, arsenic and some oxygen.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Hey PhilNH5, Could you please tell us which product in your experience has the slippery surface problem? Some of the products are textured differently than others. Thanks.