Pressure-treated wood is widely available and relatively economical. Untreated wood generally rots and/or incurs insect damage within three to five years—sometimes even within one year—depending on its exposure to soil and environmental conditions. Treated wood, on the other hand, is strong and long-lasting and maintains its integrity in conditions under which untreated wood would quickly degrade. Pressure-treated lumber and plywood often retain their structural integrity 10 to 20 times longer than untreated woods. Treated wood is a convenient, renewable building material that offers significant environmental benefits. Preservative treatment enables wood to last consistently longer than it otherwise would, thereby conserving trees and other resources. ACQ-treated wood is made from a renewable resource grown almost entirely on managed timberlands. Furthermore, ACQ-treated wood requires less energy to produce than do comparable building materials because the ACQ used in treating wood is made partly from recycled wastes and because the preserving process itself produces no air pollutants and no waste-water discharges.

WHAT IS
PRESSURE-TREATED WOOD?
Pressure-treated wood is a safe, long-lasting building material used in decks, fences, retaining walls, picnic tables, docks and other places where wood is exposed to rot, insect attack or other forms of biodeterioration. In the pressure-treatment process, lumber is loaded into a horizontal cylinder. The cylinder door is sealed, and a liquid preservative solution is pumped in. The pressure in the cylinder is then raised, forcing the preservative into the wood. At the end of the process, the excess treatment solution is pumped back to a storage tank for reuse. Because this treatment renders the wood useless as a food substance for fungi, termites and other wood-destroying agents, the wood is protected and is much less subject to deterioration. Three preservatives predominate for treating wood. They are creosote, a coal-tar derivative used primarily in railroad ties and pilings; pentachlorophenol, an oil-borne preservative used frequently for utility poles; and Alkaline Copper Quaternary (ACQ), a water-borne solution most commonly used on wood meant for fencing, playground equipment, animal enclosures and decking.

For additional information on ACQ-treated wood, contact us via email or at 1-800-330-5678.

Copyright © 1997 Sunbelt Forest Products Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Feedback to: sales@sunbeltfp.com