Pressure treated wood is marketed as a beneficial deck material that offers long life with direct earth contact. Besides its moisture resistant properties, classy appearance and affordability, there are some other facts that people are not aware of. There are some useful insights about pressure treated wood that lead to the introduction of other deck materials in the market.
Does wood destroy laws related to organism?
Most of the people believe that Pressure treated lumber is produced for ground contact. So, having this material touch the earth will not be considered as a defect. The truth is that pressure treated wood, when comes in contact with soil lasts very long if all kind of soil contact is removed.
It is required that an inspector should inquire all those pressure treated woods that are in contact with soil contact, to figure out whether or not they are decayed. If there is no decay, then putting it on a concrete pier will surely help in increasing its lifespan.
Why was wood treated less preferred deck material?
In the beginning of the 19th century, the commonly used deck material among people was wood with oil-borne preservative systems. At that time, most of the decks were built using naturally durable wood species such as redwood and cedar. Though it used to provide enhanced protection but the finish it imparted to the product, was aesthetically inappropriate for residential decking use.
During 1970’s, copper-based preservative was introduced into the deck market. Wood preservative companies were successful in expanding their product use to capture the entire residential decking market. Wood treated copper-based preservative gained a lot of market share in the next twenty years at the cost of pressure treated wood.
Reason behind replacement of chromated copper arsenate treated wood deck material
In the year 2001, risks related to the use of chromated copper arsenate treated wood got uncovered. Due to which, it was voluntarily eliminated from the residential market. To replace it, copper azole and ACA (ammonium copper quaternary) were introduced in the market.
Qualities that made micronized copper systems, a superior choice
By offering similar level of protection, both these materials were highly corrosive that needed extensively coated fasteners. Due to this reason, an option that offered minimal corrosion of fasteners, and highest durability, “micronized copper systems” become the preferred choice.
Conclusion
Though pressure treated wood is treated with ACA (ammonium copper quaternary) and copper azole, a migration to micronized copper preservatives has been a major positive introduction in the entire deck industry. Looking at the benefits of this material, it is going to stay for several years to come.
