# Pressure treated wood used inside the house



## drewdin (Mar 25, 2013)

Since I'm a rookie and I believe everything i read on the internet and what people tell me , I was told that in my basement I cant put regular wood on the concrete because it will rot. 

So in a few places I replaced some 2x4's with PT 2x4's, a buddy of mine told me today that it is dangerous to have PT in my basement as it contains arsenic, he recommended that I should remove them.

I come to you fellow DIY'ers to set the record straight, who is right and is it OK to have PT inside the house? Thanks guys


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## nealtw (Mar 25, 2013)

Your buddy was right 7 or 8 years ago. They changed the treatment for decks, just for that reason.
http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/articles/2007/pressurelumber.shtml


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## drewdin (Mar 25, 2013)

good, i wont bother putting any more in the house from here on out but what a pain in the *** it would have been to remove and re-install.


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## nealtw (Mar 25, 2013)

When inspecter find lumber touching concrete without poly between in new houses they call for the same treatment painted on. The poly between is a better way to go. In some places they build house with on a pressure treated wood foundation, but in a finished basement, that would be outside the envelope. I assume some of these houses don't have finished basements.


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## CallMeVilla (Mar 25, 2013)

Poly between the wood and the concrete is best.  I have even seen it allowed to put new wood over old vinyl tile (which does act as a barrier).

There is also Blu-Wood (Canada) which is very interesting but I have not seen it in the USA.

http://www.bluwoodcanada.com/protection.html


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## nealtw (Mar 25, 2013)

Havn't seen the blue wood out west yet. Warm wood wood would still cause water to wick which would still evaporate into the living space so I think the poly would still be a good idea.


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