Is it safe to install pressure-treated lumber indoors?

Question

I need to replace my cellar steps and would like to guard against the dampness down there.

Answer 1

Pressure treated lumber is not the right solution. The pressure treatment doesn't make the lumber resistant to water, but rather to insect damage. But wear and tear on the steps would release poisonous chemicals like chromated copper arsenate, which you'd track around throughout the house.

If moisture is your concern, use a product like Trex for your steps. See the link below. However, you can't use Trex for the stringers, which is what you nail the steps into, so they would still be susceptible to the dampness.

It sounds like you need to ventilate your basement, or improve your waterproofing.

Answer 2

No no no no no - never.

Pressure treated lumber off-gases the chemicals that make it that way. This can cause a lot of health problems for the chemically sensitive. If you aren't sensitive now, you can become so, as the body does not process and filter out these pollutants. You store them in your body, so the cumulative effect is devastating.

If your cellar is damp, you need to address that problem, not the steps. Your foundation could be leaking/cracked/below grade. You can also have problems with mold.

Get a specialist out there to look at your foundation and have this problem corrected. There's no reason that your cellar should be damp.

Answer 3

You can use pressure treated wood if you want. It is safe. But treated wood is used when the wood comes in contact with moisture on a regular basis, rain, snow, and it stops rotting. What you need to do is use fir/spruce etc and coat it with paint, sealant or waterproofing. it will work. There are special screws and nails that don't rust that you can use. Rusty nails also rot the wood. Covering the nail/screw holes with caulking will also keep moisture out. If the stairs are against a damp unfinished wall, place sill gasket or tar paper to prevent moisture from the concrete contacting the wood.

Answer 4

I wouldn't recomend using treated lumber to replace your steps. What I would suggest is to buy a dehumidifier for your basement to reduce the dampness that you are experiencing. That damp air is making conditions that mold love. This will cause more problems then just replacing your steps. Also they do make riser and stair treads which make replacement very easy for the diy.

Answer 5

The lumber should be safe. It use to contain arsenic, but it no longer does. Even the old stuff kids would have to ingest it from what I have heard. So unless your kids eat wood, you should be way more then safe!!

Answer 6

I wouldn't use pressure treated lumber because part of the treatment they receive may contain arsenic which could be harmful to pets and children.

It's not recommended by the manufacturer for indoor applications.

Answer 7

If you are going to drywall, mud and tape over the wood then yes.

That is very poisonous treatment that is "pressured" into the wood to keep bugs from eating it. So you dont want anyone touching the exposed wood.

Consider cedar instead. It will last past your lifetime.