The Health concerns of pressure-treated deck
| My husband and I installed a pressure-treated deck about 15 years ago. We did not know then what we know now about the chemicals and carcinogens that were used in the manufacturing process. We installed a second redwood deck on a back portion of the house about eight years ago. We’re now interested in tearing out the pressure-treated deck and replacing it with redwood for one consistent look and maintenance plan. |  |
More than 70 years ago, Karl Wolman invented a system to infuse wood with preservatives. Wood is placed in a large cylindrical tank, and the tank is depressurized to remove the air. Then chemical preservatives are pumped into the tank under high pressure, forcing the liquid preservative deep into the wood. Incisions are often cut in the wood to allow the preservative to penetrate deeper. The result is a wood product that will not rot or decay for more than 20 years, even under the most extreme conditions. The most common preservative used to treat wood was chromated copper arsenate, or CCA. The arsenate part of the formula refers to arsenic, an extremely toxic chemical. Concerns over safety have led to the voluntary discontinuation of the manufacture of CCA-treated wood for residential use by the industry, although CCA will continue to be used in some industrial applications.
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