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.
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so after reading this it should be ok.
Thanks
wava
Thanks,
JWR
If you were using our ProWood Micro CA for this application
I’d have full confidence saying you’d have no worries. The MicroPro technology in ProWood Micro CA has been awarded the GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification. GREENGUARD Children & Schools (SM) Certification program certifies products for low chemical emissions that are used in schools, offices and other sensitive environments.
If you bought and installed a product treated with a different formulation I’m afraid I can’t offer an opinion on it. That isn’t to say I don’t think it’s safe. But we just don’t have the research or the authority to say whether in this particular application it is. Thanks for the inquiry.
Thank you!
thanks
ProWood Micro would be far superior to BlueWood as regards long-term performance. No need to add water repellent as the MCA treatment is sufficient to protect the wood in the application you describe. Thanks for the inquiry and good luck with your project.
compatible with aluminum in the application you describe. Treated lumber that uses ACQ as its preservative is not compatible with aluminum as it will cause it to corrode.
Consult the end tags affixed to each piece of treated lumber to confirm the preservative used. If there are no end tags don’t buy it.
for the project.
Should we consider removing the legs and searching further for untreated 4x4's or will sealing the wood make it safe?
“Exterior wood used for decks” can mean redwood, cedar, tropical hardwood or pressure treated. You don’t say what you used so I can’t comment on its efficacy. I wouldn’t recommend cedar or redwood because what’s available today has a lot of sapwood that probably would not do well in this application. The hardwood costs 5X what you need to spend. If you use pressure treated, treated for ground contact, you’ll be fine.
Pressure treated lumber is not “toxic”, unless you’re a termite that just had some for dinner. It is safe for people and pets, indoors and out. We recommend it in any application except where it can come in contact with food, such as a tabletop or cutting board.
How ironic you are losing sleep worrying about the very structure that anchors your bed.
Rest assured that your worries are baseless. All activities enjoyed in, under, over, or around
your bed are safe, at least as they are related to that headboard.