The Ban on CCA -treated Wood is Answered With New ACQ Products.

This new alternative wood preservative is safe and effective, but comes with a disturbing side-effect?EUR??,,????'??+it quickly corrodes fasteners.

By Jodie Carter, regional editor

In March LASN reported that the environmental protection agency (EPA) no longer permits landscape construction using pressure-treated wood containing arsenic?EUR??,,????'??+a known carcinogen that can cause increased risk of cancer with prolonged, repeated exposure. The ban went into effect on Dec. 31, 2003 and applies to residential applications built with CCA-treated wood.

The bottom line for contractors? CCA is still approved for commercial applications and replacing existing residential CCA-treated structures is not required, according to a statement by the EPA. Landscapers who build residential structures like wood decks or fencing must now use enviro-friendly wood-preservative products, which are emerging from quite a few manufacturers.

Alkaline Copper Quaternary Offers CCA-equivalent Protection

Landscape Contractors shouldn?EUR??,,????'???t have any trouble finding suitable replacement products?EUR??,,????'??+quite a few large companies are now offering several new products for treating residential wood. The most popular replacement chemicals is alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ), which offers CCA-equivalent performance against biological hazards, such as decay and termite attack, according to a statement by Dr. Alan Preston, vice president of technology at Chemical Specialties Inc.

ACQ is already widely accepted in markets around the world, including Europe, Japan, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. As far as aesthetic performance, wood treated with ACQ weathers to a natural brown color and after long-term exposure to the sun it will fade to a natural gray.

New ACQ Solution Created New Problems?EUR??,,????'??+Corroded Fasteners

The new ACQ wood treatment solution comes with a surprising side-effect?EUR??,,????'??+it quickly corrodes metals like the electroplated screws and fasteners used in deck and fence construction. The building industry has responded to the problem by recommending that those who build with ACQ-treated lumber use stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized fasteners, which are still subject to corrosion, but not as quickly as electroplated metals.

The corrosion problem has led to an evolution in fastener products. New fasteners are being developed to withstand heavy chemical corrosion. Fastener manufacturer Stanley-Bostitch offers a new Thickcoat?EUR??,,????<

Arsenic-based chemicals in the pesticide industry were banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) years ago when links to cancer were feared. The recent banning of CCA in the wood treatment industry is not a surprising follow-up especially considering concerns with CCA-treated lumber used in children?EUR??,,????'???s playgrounds has attracted gales of media attention increasing the pressure on some home improvement chains to offer alternative treated wood products.

Source: www.timberlinemag.com

A few of the companies now offering ACQ alternative wood products includes:

• Osmose Inc. of Griffin, Ga. has a new product ?EUR??,,????'??Naturewood?EUR??,,????'?? which uses ACQ as an alternative preservative.
• Wolmanized Wood, a division of Arch Wood Protection Inc. of Smyrna, Ga., offers ?EUR??,,????'??Natural Select?EUR??,,????'?? as its enviromentally-friendly substitute.
• Chemical Specialties Inc. of Charlotte, N.C. markets ACQ Preserve.

Corrosion resistant fasteners can be found at Stanley-Bostitch, find out more at www.bostitch.com.

CCA-banned residential applications include: fencing, decks, picnic tables, playground equipment, and other construction projects that come into regular human contact in residential areas.

CCA is still approved for commercial applications like: docks built in saltwater, boat construction, shakes and shingles, plywood flooring, laminated beams, highway barriers, agricultural timbers and poles, and similar applications.