pressure treated wood?

Question

Hello, I have a question about pressure treated wood. My uncle is building a smokehouse and is using pressure treated wood for his posts. Is this dangerous ? He already dug and installed the posts they are 11ft tall. If there is a potential danger then i would like to stop him before he goes much further. Thanks

Answer 1

It looks like most folks don't like pressure treated wood for a smokehouse. I wonder if your uncle will be persuaded by a bunch of guys like me telling him not to do it.

Probably not. So, I included this article from the University of Connecticut. See below.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

The primary concern with pressure treated lumber is ingesting the dust or smoke from cutting, sanding or burning:

"The U.S. EPA and the wood products industry recognize that treated wood has some hazard. Thus, CCA-treated wood is sold strictly for outdoor use and will be phased out for residential and school uses by the end of 2003. A dust mask is recommended during cutting; scrap wood should not be burned; and sawdust should not be used in compost piles or as a mulch."

If the wood is not expected to be burned or sanded (saw dust), your uncle is probably OK.

Answer 4

Pressure treated wood is an excellent choice, it will last longer than redwood (contact with concrete is very tough on redwood as the concrete is a constant source of moisture for decay) with less upkeep. Pressure treated lumber is also cheaper. Furthermore, the chemicals in treated lumber (ground-contact) available for homeowners will not leach and are not dangerous as popular opinion (opinion not science!) would have you believe. Pressure treated wood is actually more environmentally friendly as it lasts longer than redwood in use! (carbon tied up in wood not being released through decay, more trees left in forest)

Answer 5

No he can not use pressure trated wood in or around any flame. It is treated and will be posinous to not only humans but animals as well contact the EPA for more info!

Answer 6

There is nothing wrong with it as long as he uses nails that are coated for treated lumber. Any nail he drives into the treated will rust off if its not coated for treated lumber. Also he can nail boards over the treated post if they are on the inside of the smoke house. I would cover the treated wood inside the smoke house because it can cause cancer.

Answer 7

If I'm not mistaken, the chemical used in pressured treated luber is poisonous to termites, and people too. I would check this out carefully before I go any further.

Answer 8

Treatment formula had to be changed changed a while ago .
Was not recommended for picnic tables, playsets or seating because of toxic chemicals.
Sure about that.
The newer stuff might be safe.
Not sure about that.
Better contact Mfr.
Good luck

Answer 9

I agree with Roy, if the treated lumber is outside the smokehouse I see no problem. Nothing inside the smokehouse should be treated lumber, the chemical would get in the smoke etc. and into the meat I would fear.

Answer 10

your not supose to use presure treated wood in your fireplace or wood stove, I know.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began investigating the risks associated with the use of pressure treated wood in the year 2000. Arsenic has been associated with lung and skin cancer and is acutely toxic.

The draft preliminary risk assessment demonstrated an increased risk of cancer for children who regularly played on pressure treated play sets, and a greater increased risk for children who also were exposed to pressure treated decks in the home. In cold climates like Massachusetts, the mean lifetime risk of cancer to children who use play sets made of pressure treated wood ranged from 1.2 cases per 100,000 to 2.2 cases per 100,000 for children who also had a pressure treated wood deck. In warmer climates where children can be exposed for more days throughout the year the risk increased to 2.3 cancers in 100,000 for children with play sets only, to 4.2 per 100,000 if an outdoor deck is also present. Children who contacted play sets only had half the absorbed dose of children who contacted play sets and decks. For children who contacted both play sets and decks, the total mean dose was reduced by a third when hand washing occurred after exposure. Arsenic that leached from the play sets to the soils underneath was included in the assessment of exposure.

EPA's draft preliminary childhood risk assessment takes into consideration variations in exposure due, for example, to climate, weathering of the wood play structures, whether the child also spends time on a pressure treated wood deck, and months of the year that outdoor play occurs.

Risks associated with exposure to chromium, and non cancer risks from arsenic are incorporated in the study. EPA noted that uncertainties exist in the risk assessment, including uncertainty in the toxicity of arsenic, the level of arsenic residue on the surface of the wood, the amount of arsenic absorbed, etc.

In February 2003, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released the results of its studies examining decks and play sets made from pressure treated wood. Because arsenic is thought to be the most potent of the three substances in pressure treated wood, the CPSC risk assessment focused only on this substance. The research concluded that a young child who plays on pressure treated playground structures for an equivalent of 156 hours per year, or three times per week, over a five-year period has an increased risk of developing lung or bladder cancer in his or her lifetime.