Since late 2003, pressure-treated wood that had been readily available with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is no longer for sale for residential use. The pressure treated lumber industry has been looking for ways to keep pressure treated lumber prices down while providing a product that has the same insect repellent capabilities.

Since pressure-treated wood is a popular building item because of its longevity over regular, kiln-dried wood, there have been many changes in the process of creating pressure-treated wood in the last few years. With escalating treated wood prices, manufacturers are looking for ways to keep their product affordable for their customers. This search includes ways to:

1. Make production of pressure-treated wood more cost-effective.

2. Increase the effectiveness of water and insect repellent injected into the density of pressure treated lumber that is more efficient.

3. Keep environmentally friendly treated lumber pricing comparable to standard treated wood price ranges.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look at buyer's guides for pressure-treated wood to find the latest news and trends

The newer buyer's guides feature wood that's treated with the newest chemical combinations. Follow the guides' recommendations to trace what's happening within the industry.

I recommend: The American Wood-Preservers' Association sets industry standards for pressure-treated wood. It also leads the industry in presenting pressure-treated wood news and trends. Simpson Strong-Tie answers frequently asked questions about pressure-treated wood on its website. This includes answers about new processes for creating pressure-treated wood.

Get articles about pressure-treated wood

You can also trace pressure-treated wood news and trends by reading articles on the subject. Not only do these articles discuss prices for pressure treated wood, you can find valuable information about which type of pressure-treated lumber to use for any given project. Many of the articles also offer ways to make your projects with pressure-treated wood more environmentally friendly.

I recommend: You can find a number of articles on the Southern Pine Council website. It also offers classes on care and handling of pressure-treated lumber. This information about pressure-treated wood news and trends can help you get the most value from the wood, as well as from your investment in treated lumber. Check out more information about pressure treated lumber at NaturalHandyman.com.

Read blogs about pressure-treated wood

You can find ways to use pressure treated lumber, as well as discussion of the uses of wood based on its density, on blogs devoted to woods and woodworking. You can also find entries that discuss the merits of one type of pressure treated lumber over another based on pressure treated wood prices.

I recommend: Some of the blogs that include discussion of pressure treated wood are Latest Home Improvement, Renovation & Remodeling Trends, GreenBuilding Talk by Build Central and Gardenaut.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you are following pressure-treated wood news and trends in preparation for a building project, be sure you know what the building codes for pressure-treated wood are in your locality.

Pressure treated lumber prices are easy to find since pressure treated wood is a well-used product. Infused with a chemical preservative, the wood is resistant to rot, insects and, in some cases, warping. It has many applications, but is typically used to build decks or other outdoor structures. The preservative, its chemical composition varying from company to company, is forced into the wood fibers in cylindrical tanks, then dried and sold at lumber yards or home improvement stores.

Before you compare local pressure treated lumber prices, consider these other factors:

1. What grade of pressure treated wood you need.

2. What you can save with online quotes versus your local home improvement store.

3. Pressure treated wood advancements.

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Decide on wood grade and accessories before looking at pressure treated wood prices

Wood grade, determined by pounds of preservative per cubic foot of wood product, falls into one of 4 categories -- above ground, ground contact, permanent wood foundation or salt water. You'll need to decide which grade best meets your needs before looking at treated wood prices. You don't want to use a substandard wood just to save a buck if safety is a concern. You'll also need to consider what kind of accessories you'll need to finish your project. Most companies selling pressure treated wood don't cut-to-order and, even if they do, the cost is so much more that it is just plain cheaper to buy the cutting equipment and do it yourself if you can.

I recommend: The Natural Handyman has a great guide for deciding which grade or rating you'll need. ToolsDirect offers a myriad of tools and accessories that can handle working with pressure-treated wood.

Find a variety of treated lumber prices online

Pressure treated wood prices vary greatly from website to website. If you're looking for quality, buying wood from the tried-and-true experts is your best bet. If you're looking to save money there are hundreds of companies who will cut you a deal but might not guarantee the same quality as the larger companies. Also, keep in mind that shipping such a heavy product is expensive, so doing business with your local home improvement store will save you money on shipping.

I recommend: Two of the biggest names in all wood building materials, Georgia-Pacific and Universal Forest Products, Inc., offer where-to-buy guides. Go to LumberMax.com for live embedded chat help as well as a quick quote form for a pressure treated lumber price.

Ensure that your pressure treated wood is environmentally friendly

You can find inexpensive prices for pressure treated wood, but there may be even cheaper -- and safer -- alternatives. Some pressure treated lumber is still treated with chromated copper arsenate, or CCA, which leaches arsenic into the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency monitors companies that use CCA, though it is still legal to use in some building applications. Make sure the company you buy from is using a CCA alternative such as ACQ or another chromium-free and arsenic-free compound.

I recommend: BB&S Lumber offers technical information and specs on their arsenic-free pressure treated lumber. Viance also offers treated lumber pricing for ACQ-treated products, and will send you industry e-mail updates. The Environmental Protection Agency offers other alternatives to pressure treated wood and lists the advantages and disadvantages.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If you plan on sawing pressure treated wood, clean up and contain as much sawdust as possible since it's easy to inhale and contains whatever chemical was used in pressure treatment.

No one wants to pay record-high pressure treated wood prices only to see the wood warp and rot within a short period of time. Even though pressure-treated wood should last a long time, the wood does deteriorate if you don’t properly care for it. Treated lumber prices are simply too high to allow that to happen.

Making the most of pressure-treated wood involves some simple steps to insure that it lasts. Lumber companies are also making pressure-treated wood with different additives and preservatives to make it last longer. If you are installing decking around your business, here are some guidelines to follow:

1. Place the bark side of the pressure-treated wood facing up on deck floors. You can look at the end of the board to determine this.

2. Use the fasteners designed for pressure-treated wood. Experts recommend hot-dipped galvanized stainless steel connectors.

3. Set the boards so there is no spacing between them. Pressure-treated wood doesn’t shrink as it cures like untreated lumber does.

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Understand the best ways to use pressure-treated wood

There are different types and grades of pressure treated lumber. This relates directly between the density of pressure treated lumber and the type of chemical preservative used to treat the lumber.

I recommend: Compare the differences in the types of pressure-treated wood on the Home Depot website. Study the chart to discover how different processes can affect the density of pressure treated lumber. This knowledge can affect the quality of the lumber, as well as treated wood prices. The information provided by American Pole & Timber explains how the density of pressure treated wood affects the ways you should use it.

Find the correct fasteners to use with pressure-treated wood

If you don't use the proper type of fasteners, your pressure-treated wood may cause the metal to have an adverse reaction that can shorten its life. Aluminum is especially susceptible to problems. Any time you need to make repairs, it raises the intrinsic treated wood price.

I recommend: Osmose offers information on its line of fasteners you can use with its Micropro line of pressure treated lumber. Building Online has an article that explains why you need to use hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel fasteners as a way of making the most of pressure-treated wood. These fasteners are not likely to corrode or affect the wood in any way.

Use the proper pressure-treated wood maintenance procedures

Even though pressure-treated wood doesn't require much in the way of care, it does last longer with the proper stains and protective coatings.

I recommend: The Southern Pine Council offers tips for care and maintenance of pressure treated lumber on their website. You can also find information on care and maintenance of your pressure-treated wood on the Wolman Wood Care Products website.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be sure to check local building codes before installing pressure-treated wood posts or building decks of pressure-treated wood. Some municipalities require you to cover pressure-treated wood posts set in the ground with concrete.

Concern about pressure-treated wood stems from environmental and health issues. Consumers worry about how the chemicals used to treat the lumber affect their health. They want to know whether the chemicals will permeate their home if this type of wood is used to build a deck, or whether a playhouse made of treated lumber will be safe. You will also want to know how effective the pressure-treatment will be and how long you can expect the pressure-treated lumber to last. Being familiar with the pressure-treated wood key terms will be a big help as you research, buy and install the materials for your project.

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CCA

Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) is the big name in pressure-treated wood. Manufacturers still use the chemical to treat wood used for power poles, bridge pilings and other outdoor products not used in close proximity to people. The chemical is toxic to humans, because chromium can adversely affect breathing passages and lungs, and arsenic is a deadly poison.

I recommend: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is one of many sources that discusses the toxicity of CCA, its uses and its restrictions.

ACQ

Alkaline copper quat (ACQ) replaces CCA as a pressure treatment for preserving wood that will be near living environments. Quat stands for quaternary ammonium compound. Most oversight agencies consider ACQ safe for use in residences or playground equipment.

I recommend: US Forest Service lists safe alternatives to CCA as a method of pressure-treating wood, including ACQ. The text features variations, uses and compatibility of ACQ.

ANSI

The American National Standards Institute sets voluntary standards for products manufactured in America to make American companies competitive in the global marketplace. ANSI accredits other institutions, such as the American Wood Protection Association, which sets standards for pressure-treating wood products for the purpose of preserving and protecting structures from damage from insects or weather.

I recommend: Go to American National Standards Institute to find out more about how the institution operates. Techstreet provides a link to AWPA and explains its association with ANSI.

Retention level

Retention level refers to the amount of preservative treatment that stays in the wood after the completion of the treatment process. Manufacturers indicate this amount in weight per cubic feet. Harsher conditions require a higher retention level. Retention level varies for each product used to pressure-treat wood.

I recommend: For a good explanation of retention level, go to Simpson Strong-Tie. There you'll also find the different types of chemicals used to treat wood and the types of wood used for pressure treating.

Incising

Incising refers to a method of improving the penetration of preservatives in pressure-treated wood. It involves cutting slots in the surface of the timber prior to placing it in the pressure-treating chamber.

I recommend: The USDA provides a link to a PDF file of an article that explains the effects of incising on pressure-treated wood.

Hot-dipped galvanized

Any discussion of pressure-treated wood will include the term hot-dipped galvanized and stainless steel, because these are two metals recommended when using fasteners in contact with pressure-treated wood. Other metals will react with the ingredients of the preserving process and deteriorate and fail over time. Regular galvanizing provides some protection, but will also fail sooner than the hot-dipped method.

I recommend: Voigt & Schweitzer describes the process of hot-dip galvanizing and includes a video illustrating the process. For a list of recommended fastener materials, see Universal Forest Products.