# New Pressure Treated lumber; checking/warping



## oakley408 (May 24, 2007)

I am currently having a new home built.  The GC purchased the new pressure treated lumber that is currently the required replacement for the older PT lumber.  The new process is a governmental/environmental issue.  The new lumber, however, is far worse in its tendency to check, bow and warp.  Lumber companies will not stand behind the lumber and guarantee it from bowing and warping...they can only provide what the government will allow to be sold.  

Question...are there any economical solutions or alternatives?  My screened in porch and deck are supported by 6 x 6 PT posts...and they are twisting, bowing, and checking severely.  Some of the checking is already 1/4" wide and it has only been installed about 2 months.  Any ideas?

Thanks  

oakley408


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## glennjanie (May 25, 2007)

Welcome Oakley408:
One possibility is to replace the treated lumber with California Redwood. It is lighter, softer, naturally rot resistant and has beautiful colors. It will be more expensive than any thing you can get in AL, but it sure is a pleasure to work with and looks good for years to come.
Glenn


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## asbestos (May 25, 2007)

The issue with the old treated lumber was arsenic (Chromium Copper Arsenate)  Idiots would ignore the warnings and burn this stuff, leaving ash that was highly toxic. I use PT all the time and have not noticed a difference in the checking or warping. PT wood is generally the bottom of the barrel. If you get the better grade of PT (no marks) it is a bit nicer.  The new treatment,(often ACQ- alkaline copper quaternary or copper azole), does corrode fasteners more so be sure to use ones that are rated for the new wood. Also you could apply a stain/sealer to help reduce checking. My guess is that the GC got some wood that was poor quality, Around here the treated often is hem-fir. My guess is there it is Souther pine.


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## mudmixer (May 27, 2007)

The newer treatment methods are acceptable since the most of the new lower quality (juvenile lumber) lumber is not a s strong and dense so it will accept more preservative. Historically, the dense heartwood was never used because it could not accept the "preservatives". The problem is that water is also used in the preservative, so you can expect the usual (or more) problems with warping, checking, etc.

It is just wood - what else do you expect when moisture is envolved?

Use better quality wood or structural or pipe (lally) columns like you use in a basement.


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## Mephistopheles (Jun 7, 2007)

California redwood? from California ?  You got to be kidding? Its about as decay resistant as white pine these days. THERE IS NO NEW CUT USA REDWOOD THAT IS DECAY RESISTANT TO ANY APPRECIABLE DEGREE, PERIOD.  If I had a dollar for every 5-10yr (and sometimes less, alot less)  so called decay resistant redwood deck i've seen rotted up here in Ca. I'd have ...umm  10-12,000 in my pocket, easy. And if you have a live or dead tree anywhere withing 50 ft of a redwood deck bleeding fungus spores by the billions and yes they put out billions of spores per fruiting growth...good luck with CA. grown new cut redwood.

The trick to redwood decks is, treat them every 2, two, two,two, two, two, yes TWO years with pretty much ANY wood preservative and they will last 30 years easy(of course weather splitting looks awful, lol).
But if you do not treat the substructure and bottom sides of EVERY board and end cut, kiss that lumber good-bye.

If you really like redwood, get imported, like Malaysian or from where ever, or contact a demo/salvage company often they will save and stock the old growth redwood because of its value. But you will have to have it resawn to suite most modern designs.

The only real decay resistant redwood in the USA is old growth, and its no longer harvested in any degree to cover the general demand for the so called "decay resistant" redwood.

Calling new growth redwood decay resistant is just laughable.


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