Pressure treated for framing?

[Starting Small]

I just found out that I can get some pressure treated 2x4s for and 2x6s pretty cheap from an old deck. Would you use pressure treated for the exposed studs of the shack or could the chemicals cause harm in some way when boiling sap? Thanks
-Dave

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

That's a good question. I have done a lot of carpentry and used a lot of PT. I used it for the sill in my sugarhouse. But I'm not sure I would use it for studs and even less sure about using them for rafters. Since it already lived one life as a deck, most of the chemicals have been washed out by rain and sun. However, since it was a deck, it is older, probably from before they changed the formula in PT to a little less toxic (No Arsenic now I think). I think you could get away with PT for walls, but avoid putting it in the ceiling where steam will be circulating around.

Of course I have heard Hemlock is toxic to horses. That is what my sugar house is built out of. So who knows.

good luck
Ben

[Mark]

I asked my inspector about pressure treated posts and he said it was okay if condensation could not fall into the pan or syrup. I would only use it in the walls and would not want it overhead. The newer copper based preservative is safe compared to the old arsenic preservative.

[PerryFamily]

Just an opinion here:

I would think that by the time you messed around with used lumber it would be cheaper and the end product would be much better to go with new.
By the time you pull nails or screws, hit one with your saw that you forgot, and took the time to work with potentially twisted material you would be money ahead to go get new KD material.

I love the concept of reusing and recycling but in reality for certain things its just not worth trying to save a few bucks.

Good luck to you and happy building

[Starting Small]

Just an opinion here:

I would think that by the time you messed around with used lumber it would be cheaper and the end product would be much better to go with new.
By the time you pull nails or screws, hit one with your saw that you forgot, and took the time to work with potentially twisted material you would be money ahead to go get new KD material.

I love the concept of reusing and recycling but in reality for certain things its just not worth trying to save a few bucks.

Good luck to you and happy building
Ya I hear ya, I am actually leaning in that direction myself. I think I am going to pass on this used decking that is available. I did pick up some rough sawn wood that came off of an old barn. It has been in the 2nd story of a barn stickered and flat for 4 years. Couple pieces are not the best but I ended up with 650+/- board feet for $250. Some of it is 8 and 10 inches wide and many of it is 12 feet long. I am hoping to use this for the exterior. I think that will be the last of the used stuff for me though. Thanks for everyones insight!
-Dave

[PerryFamily]

the PT lumber may work good for a outside tank platform or make a skid for a woods tank or something like that.

[lpakiz]

Some of the 4 X 4 posts the highway dept used for signs was treated with something that had "copper something" in the tag. It will corrode off a 5/16 lag bolt in less than 2 years, so use appropriate coated fasteners. It may not be such an issue if it is protected from weather, such as studs or roof boards.....

[TheMapleMoose]

ACQ, alkaline copper-quat is what the pt lumber is treated with now. There is a decimal that follows the ACQ like .25 which means rated for ground contact or .60 which is rated for subgrade. Most of the lumber is like .15(?). But yeah you have to use either s/s fasteners or hit dipped galvanized. Don't plan on being able to reuse the galvanized fasteners again though. It will rust them bad enough that they need to be cut out in as little as 2 years
I should add that ACQ is not considered to be a carcinogen by the epa

[noreast maple]

If the pt lumber is free than GRAB it,== like perry family said, you can always use it some where on various projects.!!!

[unc23win]

I would grab it and use it wherever its not going to be dripping steam into anything. I used PT for the bottom plate on top of the concrete with sill seal in between. As mentioned you will want galvanized nails. Additionally if you are using rough cut boards or board siding you will want galvanized nails for that as well as the nails will rust and cause black spots and then the spots will run making bigger black spots. Rough cut for siding is very reasonable I was very surprised how much $ I saved. I did my whole 30x36 siding, batons, and soffit with rough cut hemlock for under $600.

I see that you also mentioned you got some old barn boards which I think is awesome as long as they don't cause much more work and you will have enough to complete the job it would look very cool.

[lpakiz]

After about 18-20 years, our PT deck boards looked pretty shabby. Several layers of finish was peeling and chipping. I replaced them with composite and saved the old boards. This summer I reroofed the sap shack with steel and also built a steel roof off the back of the cook shack. These old deck boards worked perfectly as the "nailers" or perloins (sp?) to fasten the steel panels to.