Michigan State University Extension
Home Maintenance And Repair - 01500604
06/24/03
General Guidelines for Working With Treated Wood
Precautions
Use only in well ventilated areas.
Wear gloves (rubber or vinyl) whenever handling treated
wood. Leather does not protect.
Avoid inhaling saw or sander dust from treated wood.
Wear a dust mask and keep dust out of eyes (wear
goggles).
To avoid skin contact with treated wood or treated wood
sawdust, wear coveralls or other protective clothing when
working with treated wood. (Launder clothes used for
working with treated wood separately from other laundry
before reuse.)
If skin contact occurs, wash or rinse area of contact
thoroughly.
Do not use penta-treated wood where people, pets or
desirable plants are likely to come into contact with it.
Recommendations
Ask for wood treated according to American Wood
Preservers Association standards.
Buy a size and length of treated wood requiring no
cutting, if possible.
If cutting is necessary, protect newly cut surfaces with
wood preservative solution applied according to label
directions.
CCA-treated wood can be painted; most penta-treated wood
cannot.
In using CCA-treated lumber, the designation LP 2 is
for above-ground use and LP 22 is for uses that may
involve soil contact.
The amount and concentration of preservative retained in
treated wood varies with different products. When
purchasing treated wood, ask the retail lumber dealer for
assistance. If you specify the intended use, the dealer
can help you choose the product offering the proper
degree of protection for that structure.
Disposal of Treated Wood
Treated wood scraps should not be burned. Wood
treated with any of the types of commonly used wood
preservatives, when burned, produces highly toxic
compounds. The farmer should not dispose of treated wood
on the farm but should take it to a licensed sanitary
landfill. This will minimize possible leaching of the
wood preservative into water sources. The homeowner may
wrap treated wood scraps in paper and include with other
household garbage.
This information comes from Michigan State University
Extension bulletin E-1813, Guidelines for Use of
Chemically Treated Wood on the Farm and in the Home.
This information is for educational purposes only. References
to commercial products or trade names does not imply
endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not
mentioned. This information becomes public property upon
publication and may be printed verbatim with credit to MSU
Extension. Reprinting cannot be used to endorse or advertise
a commercial product or company.
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State
University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race,
color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability,
political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status.
Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in
cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Thomas G. Coon, Director,
MSU Extension, East Lansing,MI 48824. This information is for educational
purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply
endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.
This file was generated from data base 02 on 02/04/08.
Data base 02 was last revised on 06/24/03.
For more information about this data base or its contents please contact
strausc@msu.edu .