Quality of today's pressure treated lumber

pruntyc · Sep 20, 2003

Re: Quality of today\'s pressure treated lumber

I personally wouldn't want to take a chance, between money and your kids health, which is the most important? Sometimes these things don't show up till years later, but by then it's too late to do anything about it, except to feel guilty.

ScottAR · Sep 20, 2003

Re: Quality of today\'s pressure treated limber

Right you are Bird.

Lowe's employees are not to cut any treated lumber, Particle Board, MDF, or LP siding. I was told (yes I work at a Lowe's) that OSHA rules forbid us to cut any of these products **Inside** the building. What we do usually is take some stuff outside (lap siding or 1-2 PT boards) and cut it with a handsaw. Usually, under these circumstances it won't fit in their vehicle because they didn't plan ahead or don't own a vehicle made for hauling things. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

We also don't secure any loads to a vehicle so don't send the little woman up there expecting us to be responsible for your load. Besides, TBN ladies would already know how.

Before I get off on a rant, Let me address the wet boards. They come to us that way. They are banded before pressure treatment and still wet when they arrive. They are stored outside with no coverings so the outside ones lose some moisture.
If it was stickered before treatment, they might dry more evenly but it would make my job a lot harder so forget I said it. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

wickman · Sep 20, 2003

Re: Quality of today\'s pressure treated limber

ScottAR,

What do you mean by this?

"If it was stickered before treatment, they might dry more evenly but it would make my job a lot harder so forget I said it. "

I just don't understand what the stickering is and why they might dry more evenly.

Thanks,

wickman

GaryM · Sep 21, 2003

Re: Quality of today\'s pressure treated limber

"Stickering" is placing spacers between each horizontal layer of boards in the stack. This allows airflow between the layers.

TonyC · Sep 21, 2003

Re: Quality of today\'s pressure treated lumber

The ban on CCA goes into effect at the end of this year. You are correct in that there is no definitive answer regarding the toxins. I did do extensive research on my own and came to my own conclusion that it is a lot of bunk. CCA has been in use for decades and short of someone chewing on it, it has little documented history of health problems. True, I wear a dusk mask when I cut it but past that I have no fear of it. It is used in many food applications such as winerys and mushroom farms. Tests have never shown that it leaches anything into plants. Again, this is my own opinion but I think it's a shame they're taking it off the market.

ejb · Sep 21, 2003

Re: Quality of today\'s pressure treated lumber

>>I did do extensive research on my own and came to my own conclusion that it is a lot of bunk. CCA has been in use for decades and short of someone chewing on it

...except when you are building a playset for children, that is exactly what you need to worry about! As well as the frequent hand to mouth contact.

I personally don't chew on this stuff myself, and don't plan to, but I don't use it anywhere near where my kids can get to it, nor do I use it near any of the animals I might plan on eating someday...

Bird · Sep 21, 2003

Re: Quality of today\'s pressure treated limber

( OSHA rules forbid us to cut any of these products **Inside** the building )

Scott, I reckon I could understand that, and "assume?" the difference might be that Home Depot has a monstrous vacuum system running when they're cutting lumber and the nearest Lowe's doesn't have such a vacuum.

( We also don't secure any loads to a vehicle )

I not only can understand that, but any time I haul anything, I want to personally do the securing. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

AndyM · Sep 21, 2003

Re: Quality of today\'s pressure treated lumber

( short of someone chewing on it, it has little documented history of health problems. )

Personally, I don't think burning it and inhaling the fumes is a really good idea, but I haven't seen documented proof of that either.

JTD · Sep 21, 2003

Re: Quality of today\'s pressure treated limber

When buying PT 1x6 pine fencing boards most of boards in a bundle are wet. I try to purchase it 3 to 6 months in advance so I can restack it with stickers to dry. I cover the top of the pile and weight it down. This seems to prevent most of the cupping, twisting, etc but some will occur. If you are buying only a few boards, try to pick those with mostly quartersawn grain and reject those boards cut through the center of the tree. This may be next to impossible given today's lumber qualilty.

ScottAR · Sep 21, 2003

Re: Quality of today\'s pressure treated limber

Our panel saw has a shop vac hooked up to it but that isn't completely effective.
We can't saw particle board or MDF because of formaldhyde.
The LP siding contains asbestos in small amounts so no sawing that either.

Lowe's doesn't want us to secure loads because we and Lowe's would be responible if somthing happened.

Our store has no problem with the "what if's" as last year a lady in the area was killed by a french door unit that blew off a trailer. The customer had only secured it with a bungee cord which was never found at the accident scene. The door was laying flat on a single axle trailer. The wind caught it and sent it up into the air. It hit the highway and one of the doors "jumped" out and flew into the windshield of an oncoming car. What happened next is a little graphic for a family board, but the lady was killed instantly.

The point of all this. Secure your load well, and check it often. Lives may depend on it. Sorry for wandering way off topic.