MCQ Treated Wood

Here's a video from Extreme How-To magazine on how to build a pressure treated wood deck handrail using Deckorators deck railing accessories. This video features Deckorators balusters, post caps and deck railing baluster connectors and accessories.

Latitudes Intrepid composite railing is perfect for use as both deck railing and porch railing. It's a durable, easy-to-install deck railing system that will enhance your backyard deck or front porch with attractive looks and safety. Latitudes composite deck railing is a great alternative to wood, and best of all, it's available in six foot section kits for simple installation.

Key benefits of Latitudes composite deck railing include:

• Low maintenance
• Won't rot or split
• Resistant to insects
• Durable, lonterm performance
• Easy-to-install kits (video)

Unlike wood deck railing, composite wood railing never needs to be painted or sealed. In addition, composite railing will not splinters, has minimal fading and is low maintenance – simply wash twice annually in the Spring and Fall. See my past blog on maintaining composite decking and railing.

Composite deck rails can take virtually anything mother nature throws at it, season after season, in any climate. The best composite deck railing will not rot or become infested with insects. Composite deck rails retain their color and resist stains. They are non-porous and come in a variety of natural-looking, attractive colors to match any homes exterior.

Composite deck railing will add both beauty and comfort to any outdoor deck area. While composite deck railing will cost twice as much as a treated wood railing, composite lumber will typically outlast treated lumber and require less maintenance over the years. Composite deck railing also resist water damage and can be used for many types of deck designs.

Adding ornamental deck rail balusters, ornamental post caps and other deck railing accessories to composite deck rails will make your deck or porch area stand out, creating enduring beauty for years to come.

We often get asked for our painting recommendations for pressure treated wood. Our recommendation is short and simple: Don’t.

We do not recommend the use of a conventional multi-coat paint system or varnish.  The performance is nearly always disappointing, and repainting often has to be preceded by scraping and sanding.  By nature of its make-up, pressure treated lumber does not need protection from the elements, so applying an opaque paint or stain is gilding the lily. If you want to keep it looking new for years to come there are some simple maintenance tips we do recommend.

So, you don’t care what we say and you want to paint your pressure treated wood project anyway? That's fine. Start with an outdoor primer/sealer and make sure the wood is dry. If you just bought the wood wait at least 60 days (don’t let it lie about loose or it will warp). Pour a bit of water on the surface of the boards. If the water beads, it’s not dry enough. If the water soaks in, it’s ready. It’s not only water that wants to escape from the cells of the pressure treated lumber, but natural pitch wants to come out as well, once the surface heats up in the sun and starts to dry out. Once it does it will peel any finish you’ve applied. 

Be sure to follow the paint or stain manufacturer’s recommendations and remember that horizontal surfaces will get much more punishment than vertical surfaces.

Outdoor LED deck lighting offers several benefits. LED lighting improves visibility on and around the deck or patio, provides aesthetic benefits and uses less electricity than traditional wired deck lighting. Since LED deck lighting is low voltage, it’s a great way to make your deck area more functional without having to incur outrageous electricity costs. Most importantly, deck lighting helps to comply with various local building codes and reduce potential trip hazards.

There are many additional benefits that come along with installing deck lighting. Installing deck lighting allows you to showcase your treated wood deck or composite deck to its best advantage. LED deck lights are the perfect application for highlighting specific areas on your deck such as stairs near or on pool decks, by hot tubs and around fountains or statues as well as other deck features.

There are several different types of pressure treated wood available in retail lumber yards today. A discussion involving all of them would result in an alphabet soup of acronyms for the various types of treatment formulations.

At Universal Forest Products, we treat our ProWood Micro CA pressure treated lumber with a formulation known as Micronized Copper Azole, or MCA. And its makeup is simpler than you may have guessed.

The finished product contains two active ingredients to stop decay and termite attack: copper and a non-metallic “organic” called tebuconazole. “Azoles” are used in several everyday personal care products such as foot creams and fungal ointments. Copper is, of course, a common metal used for drinking water pipes, wiring, and other applications that humans come in contact with every day. These two ingredients are applied in a mixture of water at a solution strength of less than 1% active ingredients (99% or more water). The  EPA has registered this preservative and deemed it appropriate for the protection of wood from rot and termites where used as directed. The result is pressure treated wood that is an eco friendly product and servicable for decades.

An outdoor swimming pool combined with a pool deck is a great way to have fun and relax with family and friends from late Spring into early Fall, or maybe all-year-round depending on the climate. Outdoor pools and pool decks from the Midwest to New England are typically open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. But pools and pool decking in hot southern climates like Atlanta and Miami may be open most of the year.

Adding pool decking to your outdoor living area
Whether you have an above-ground swimming pool or an in-ground swimming pool, there are a few things to consider before you add a swimming pool deck.

• Which type of pool decking material do your prefer (low maintenance composite lumber, pressure treated lumber, tropical lumber, concrete, stone pavers, other)?
• Choose a composite deck color or treated wood stain that complements your outdoor space

Pool deck safety is important
Make sure you choose a pool decking material that has a slip-resistant surface. Composite decking such as Latitudes Intrepid has a reversible brushed/woodgrain finish that is slip-resistant. Abaco tropical hardwood decking has a ribbed / grooved top surface on one side which allows for good traction in wet areas such as around pools.

Since most pools are under full sun, it's important to know that the deck surface may become hot. I strongly recommend using hidden fasteners on pool decks. Protruding metal fasteners can heat up under direct sunlight and burn the bottom of your feet or even cut bare feet. If securing wood or composite pool decking with traditional top screw fasteners, always countersink the fastener's head.

Your home center may have several options when it comes to pressure treated lumber for landscaping. You should know a few basic facts about each before you buy.

3”x5”x8’ landscape ties (nominal measurement)
Most 3”x5”x8’ pressure treated landscape timbers (LST’s) originate as the center cants from plywood veneer peeling mills. Logs are kept wet to make peeling easier and the peeled cants arrive at the pressure treatment plant without benefit of kiln or air drying. Lumber that is not dried before pressure treatment cannot be fully penetrated by the treatment solution during the treatment process. This will be reflected with a shorter term warranty—in the case of ProWood Micro CA treated lumber, one year—than would have been otherwised offered by lumber that had the advantage of full preservative penetration. These ties are not recommended for applications that call for in-ground, structural performance over several years, such as fence posts.
 
4x4 and 6x6 timbers (nominal measurements)
ProWood Micro CA timbers carry either a lifetime limited warranty or a one year warranty, depending on their intended end use. The surest way to know the difference between a timber made for landscaping and a timber made for a structural application is by the warranty. If the timber carries a lifetime limited warranty it means it was dried before pressure treatment and can be warranted for structural use. Generally, these timbers are building code approved and carry an Evaluation Service Report from ICC-ES, a third party testing agency. You can use timbers for fence posts, raised garden beds, retaining walls and any other projects that call for high performance over a long period of time.

End tags
Every piece of treated lumber in the store has an end tag, on which you should find the following:

• Third party testing agency
• Standard to which it is treated (ESR-2240 in ProWood Micro’s case)
• End use (ground contact or above ground, for instance)
• Wood preservatives used (ProWood Micro uses micronized copper azole)
• Treating company’s name
• Warranty
• Handling information

Eco Friendly Products
ProWood Micro treated wood products use the MicroPro treatment process which is certified under SCS's Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) program. In addition to EPP status, the technology has earned Green Approved Product certification from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center.

Knowing the above information will help you make the informed choice when specifying your next outdoor landscape project.

The easiest way to renew your pressure treated wood deck is to thoroughly clean it of dirt and debris. Also, make sure all the lumber fasteners are countersunk into the surface. Scrub rust marks and stains from the surface, then sand down any visible imperfections in the wood deck surface with a portable walk behind sander. These deck sanders make quick work when sanding wood decks and can be rented from your local equipment rental outlet.

If a board's appearance can’t be revived, consider flipping the board and using the other face. If rot has set in or a plank is split, then you should replace the treated lumber deck board to ensure safety. Stain and seal the entire wood deck surface to protect it from the elements. By staining and sealing the wood surface you'll help restore your deck's appearance. And hopefully, for a few bucks and a little elbow grease, you'll be able to squeeze a few more summers out of your pressure treated wood deck.

ProSales Magazine’s editors have awarded MicroPro, the formulation used to treat ProWood Micro CA pressure treated lumber, their 2010 annual Editors' Choice Award. According to the editors, “Manufacturers introduce hundreds of new products every year. These few are the ones most worth your attention.” Selections were based on research from ProSales, plus expert reviews by other Hanley Wood publications.

We get this question a lot. The simple answer is pressure-treated lumber can be used in any interior application except cutting boards and countertops. Some have also asked, after they’ve found pressure treated lumber installed inside their homes, if there is any danger in having it indoors. The answer is no. There is no danger of either leaching or off-gassing. But these answers beg another question: Why would you use treated lumber indoors? The reason lumber is treated is to protect it from exterior elements that might cause rot, decay or termite infestation. In a protected environment there is no danger of rot or decay, unless the wood is exposed regularly to moisture, such as near a leaking pipe or window.

Some bathroom sub floor panel products are pressure treated as they may be exposed to moisture on a regular basis and some builders use borate-treated lumber, such as ProWood Borate, for sill plates in areas where termite infestation is common. In extreme areas of termite infestation, such as the US Gulf Coast and Hawaii, the whole structural shell may be constructed using ProWood Borate or other borate-treated lumber products. Other than those examples there would not be a need to use pressure treated lumber indoors.

Universal’s ProWood Micro CA pressure treated lumber uses the MicroPro technology developed by Osmose, Inc. On March 9, 2010 the US Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent for the MicroPro technology. Wood products treated with MicroPro, including ProWood Micro CA, are sold in over 5,000 lumber yards and home centers across the US.

The MicroPro pressure treated wood process is Environmentally Preferred Product certified by the testing organization SCS and has earned Green Product Award certification from the National Association of Home Builders Research Center.

The Southern Pine Council recently published its 2010 guide to specifying pressure treated wood: Pressure Treated Southern Pine – standards, specifications and applications. If you've ever had questions regarding this time-honored product line this document will answer them.

• Attributes of the Southern Pine species
• The pressure treating process
• Types of wood preservatives
• The Use Category system (a specifying guide)
• Code standards and building code requirements
• Design values
• Guide to grade and quality marks
• Fastener and connector recommendations
• Use and handling
• Green aspects of wood in general and pressure treated lumber in particular

Here’s the answer to the question of which brand of pressure treated lumber is best:
Universal’s ProWood^® Micro pressure treated lumber products use a wood preservative process that has received environmentally preferable product status. ProWood Micro pressure treated wood products have gained enthusiastic acceptance in the marketplace and are in thousands of retail locations. Its many features and benefits, including sustainability attributes, fastener advantages and performance, make it the choice of professionals and home owners everywhere.

Mold and mildew can be a nuisance on any exterior building surface, regardless of the material. If the conditions are right, they will spawn on wood, plastic, concrete, metal and other surfaces. Mold formation is most prevalent in consistently wet, shaded areas. Spores from the natural environment are carried by the wind and commonly land on decks surfaces. It is important to note that the appearance of mold and mildew is a function of nature, not necessarily a deficiency with any of the material on which it grows.

Deck Cleaning
Periodic washing with soap/detergent and water will help remove surface dirt. This will also help prevent the buildup of pollen, debris and spores that can cause and accelerate mold/mildew growth (it also helps to remove deck mold). Caution: A pressure washer should not be used to “blast” mold/mildew or soils from a deck surface. The abrasive nature of the water stream can potentially damage the material by driving the spores into the material, which may create a morechallenging problem to remediate. A pressure washer with a fan-tipped nozzle should be used only to lightly wet or rinse wood or composite deck surfaces. 

There are many deck wash and exterior cleaning products available at retail. It is important to make sure you use a cleaner specifically intended for your application. After selecting a product, be certain to read, understand and follow all instructions supplied by the manufacturer. Some cleaning products and inhibitors may be more effective than others, depending on the environmental conditions your deck is subjected to. Additionally, it is always a good idea to test the cleaner in a small, inconspicuous area prior to applying it to the entire deck.

Mold Inhibitors
As with deck washes, there are several mold-inhibitor products available from paint stores, hardware stores, online outlets and home centers to help prevent long-term mold/mildew growth. For any product selected, be certain to read, understand and follow all instructions provided by the manufacturer. Depending upon the environmental factors affecting your composite lumber or treated wood deck, some preventive cleaning products may be more effective than others. It may be necessary to try more than one product. For ongoing preventive maintenance, follow the manufacturer’s recommendation.

The process used to make the micronized copper formulation found in ProWood Micro CA was awarded Environmentally Preferred Product (EPP) status by Scientific Certification Services in December 2007. This was the first pressure treated lumber formulation to earn such status.

We are now pleased to announce that this same formulation has recently earned Green Approved Product Certification from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center. Now, ProWood Micro CA pressure treated lumber products are eligible to receive points toward a building being certified under both the National Green Building Standard and LEED. Go to the ProWood Micro CA Web site to read complete details.