How to identify pressure treated lumber?
uscjustoJune 28, 2013
I live near an empty plot of land home site that has been abandoned for years now. There is a pile of lumber pieces that have been there for years.
I was going to use some of those lumber pieces to build a small raised vegetable bed. How can I tell if that lumber is pressure treated?
Sorry for duplicate post. Computer crashed and I didn't think first post made it.
Please answer in this thread. Thanks.
Just about any wood on a construction site will not be treated except the mud sill(the very bottom plate around the outside perimeter). If there's a deck or wooden patio, some of that MAY be treated.
Look at the pic -- the color is usually different, olive green. but some is dark brown like the hemlock Home Depot carries... The color isn't nearly a tell-tale sign as the little indentations "pressed" into the lumber at the mill, though.
Real easy to identify.
Kevin
Nice score, especially if you can grab some 2x12's!
Here is a link that might be useful: pressure treated wood pic
Also, you may want to find out HOW "abandoned." It may seem like it was abandoned because of the real estate market crashing. Now that it's starting to pick back up, the builder and owner may want to finish the project.
I know i would.
Kevin
If it has been there for years then even if it was pressure treated it would be well leached anyway.
Arsenic treated PT wood hasn't been legal to sell since 2002 and newer PT treated wood is safe to use.
Dave
Agree with Dave.
Current PT woods have a brown color. They also have landscaping PT, which some have orange-red color.
I use natural cedar lumber. Pine/fir is ok but won't last as long.
I liked the old pressure treated lumber. It would last a long time. Now my government says I can't have any, what ashamed. What would some of you say if I could get legislation to where you couldn't get any that wasn't treated in the name of conservation. After all you would use less trees if the wood lasted longer.
This post was edited by ldj1002 on Sat, Jun 29, 13 at 10:51
Seriously? Need to get some facts straight.
First you can still buy pressure treated wood. Only the chemicals used in the treating have changed. Second, if you are really in to arsenic then buy it through a second party who has an industrial construction permit for using it.
What would some of you say if I could get legislation to where you couldn't get any that wasn't treated in the name of conservation.
No problem for me personally but fine cabinet makers and furniture manufacturers might have some objections.
Dave
Digdirt said"Seriously? Need to get some facts straight."
I didn't say I couldn't buy pressure treated lumber. I said "I liked the old pressure treated lumber" The old pressure treated lumber worked, the new pressure treated lumber---well I might as well buy the non treated because the new stuff gets insects and rots as fast as non treated. Oh yea, I can buy insecticide and put down, but what has that proved, still getting poison put out and and perhaps a lot of people will use more than needed which is bad. So in that case gov. regs has hurt, not helped.
Hellllooooooo...... I need some help please :) Im currently attempting my first garden :) lol I havent done much yet, except decide im going to do it, chose to do a vertical garden, decided to use pallets, and what vegetable to choose!
I contact a craiglist liste for pallets, they are in the building!!!! Im so excited, but now I need help with some basics....
1. How do I know they are ok to use...as far as putting vegatables, ill be eatting, to grow in them... pressure treated/arsenic in 2015, has there been changes since the orginal post? How about the wood being ok to use as far as insects? Is there anything else I should look out for?!?
2. I was going to be painting the pallets, does this affect the vegetables I will be gardening? Obviously after letting it cure for a few days..... :)
3. I was going to put KRYLON UV-Resistant clear acrylic coating over finish product to seal in the color of the paint and protect the wood..... lol I am no profeffesional..but this is something that seemed logical to me and I have also used this on garden statues...n the statues still look tip top after 2 or so years...?
Im sure this is just the beginning of my question but I think it a good start....
I would value any advice :):)
Thanks so much
Caitlin
1. pallets are not usually constructed of pressure treated wood. It would be quite unusual to find any made with it.
2. the methods used to make pressure treated wood available to the public no longer contain arsenic (since 2002 laws).
3. painting and sealing is your option but I would hazard the guess that most do not do it. I wouldn't as it not only makes the project much more work and time intensive and is strictly appearance oriented, not functional. Plus it may increase the rot rate of the wood by not letting the wood dry out when wet. I think you'll find you'll will have enough other issues with using pallets without putting all that work in up-front. It is one of those recent trends that looks easy in theory but turns out to be more complicated in actual practice.
Hope this helps.
Dave
Dave your the man :) thanks for your advice, very helpful :) have awonderful weekend.... I may be back for future advice, keep an eye out please :) Off to make the possiblities a realityyy:):)