Sealing the treated wood used in my greenhouse?

11 years ago

I have a large prop house I just finished and I'm concerned about properly sealing the pressure treated lumber I used. I bought most of it used from an Amish fellow(I live in PA) for about $3 per 14' 2x4 and armed myself with the vague reassurance that I could just seal it off later and that perhaps arsenic isn't really as bad as people say. Hah. Anyway, the structure is built and ready to be covered with film to meet a March 1st production deadline. I'm planning on using a basic latex primer/sealer but am worried about VOC, toxins leached directly from the primer, and toxins still percolating out from the poison-wood my wallet and I decided was the best thing to buy. Has anyone had any experience using an alternative that ISN'T super expensive milk paint or low-VOC? Can I just slap some sealant over the primer?

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Comments (3)

cole_robbie
11 years ago
I think any latex paint will be fine. New lumber oozes out much more of the chemical than old stuff. Depending upon the date of manufacture of the lumber, it could be treated with arsenate instead of arsenic, which is supposed to be less toxic. However, the arsenate is more corrosive to poly. Different people have had different results, and you might be fine with old lumber, but arsenate can dissolve poly under the right circumstances. I gave two coats of latex paint to all of the treated lumber I used; one year later it seems to still be ok.
BiologyBomber
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks!!
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billala
11 years ago
I've had latex house paint on treated yellow pine 6x6 uprights of a gazebo for more than 30 years. Holds up better than on the house trim, which is clear pine.