The
use of pressure treated wood products provides us with
significant environmental and economic benefits.
Using
treated wood saves a forest the size of our smallest state
each year and creates more than $3 billion in savings for the
utility and transportation industries.
While
current information indicates the environmental risks are
negligible there are considerable environmental and economic
advantages supporting the use of pressure treated wood. The
economics are relatively easy to calculate.
A
residential deck built with untreated jack pine has an average
life of five to 10 years compared with a pressure treated jack
pine deck which lasts up to 50 years. The material replacement
costs alone, without considering labor, make pressure treated
wood an obvious choice.
In
industrial applications, pressure treated wood makes a
significant contribution towards environmental protection
while providing substantive costs savings to business and
society in general. Treated wood products are used for utility
poles, highway retaining barriers, docks, bridges and railway
ties. All of these products are considerably less expensive
than alternatives. Since most of these uses involve public
service organizations, such as power, telephone, cable
television companies and railways, these substantive savings
work to keep costs down so that everyone benefits from the
relatively low costs and long life span of pressure treated
wood products.
While
wood from some species of trees naturally lasts longer than
others, all wood eventually succumbs to the elements and
living enemies. Insects, fungi and other microorganisms feed
and live on the wood causing it to decay. Wood that is in
direct contact with the ground and/or water is especially
susceptible to these conditions. But the process of pressure
treating wood helps protect it from these destructive
elements, extending its service life significantly.
The
treatment process involves forcing stable and leach resistant
preservatives deep into the wood cells where they remain for
decades to protect the wood and ensure its structural
integrity.
Equally
important is the fact that the treating process doesn't alter
the wood's essential characteristics - it continues to look
and feel good for decades. Treated wood maintains its
structural integrity longer. It is no more susceptible to
natural phenomenons such as shrinking, swelling, splitting or
warping than untreated wood. It simply is more durable and
lasts longer.
