pressure treated lumber?

I see that it's sometimes mentioned in passing for a 'natural' building project as though it's ok...the words 'pressure treated' or even 'treated' make me cringe...am I just behind, old school organic and it's all innocuous now?


As far as I know it's still not acceptable near food for USDA Organic guidelines but that might have changed also.

🙃

Personally I am less concerned with modern pressure treated lumber than I am with pressure treated from yesteryear. They used to use arsenic and copper to treat it. Both technically "natural", but not something you want by your food.

Today, supposedly they are treated only with copper and heat. If this is true, then it's probably less bad than it used to be. I have used pressure treated lumber in a couple extreme cases... but almost always I use untreated wood. I'd rather replace it sooner, and not have to worry about what is on it.

The USDA organic regulations (7 CFR part 205) require that when organic producers use lumber
on their organic farms, they must not use lumber treated with arsenate or other prohibited
synthetic materials if the lumber is in contact with crops, soil, or livestock.
...
A number of synthetic materials are now commonly used in place of CCA. These include
alkaline copper quaternary, copper azole, and micronized copper azole. These materials are not
currently allowed in organic production, as they are not included on the National List.

From https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/NOP%205036%20Treated%20Lumber%20Draft%20Guidance.pdf

Matt McSpadden wrote:Personally I am less concerned with modern pressure treated lumber than I am with pressure treated from yesteryear. They used to use arsenic and copper to treat it. Both technically "natural", but not something you want by your food.

I wish that was the case here...New Zealand is like the Wild West when it comes to regulating nasty stuff and the amount of new CCA timber being pumped out there is frightening. What's even worse is the lackadaisical attitude of about 90% of our farmers to what happens to it at the end of its useful life. Big smoky burn piles and burial where leaching into streams is a given are the dominant disposal strategies.

I go back and forth on this. I just built a portable nesting box. It has 2 boxes, a metal roof and it's footprint is 32"x32"x48" tall. It was built from materials my neighbor gave us when cleaning out his garage. The frame is PT 4x4 lower skid, 2x6 frame, metal roof. The boxes are made from some old particle board shelving they had in their closet.

I try to use what is on hand and if I have to buy somethings, I try my best to weigh the options. Sometimes I buy PT lumber. I think I found a cypress wood connection and would use that if it is a regular thing instead of the PT wood. We are still working that out.

If I am going to set a post, it'll be metal or PT 6x6, due to the rainfall, termites, humidity, etc.

Only if absolutely necessary. Code required for many things.

Seems like someone could grow, harvest and mill Black locust all day long somewhere and make a killing. Not even allowed to grow it in WI apparently. Even though it is there.

Jack and his Bean Stock would be how I'd market it.