All About Treated Wood Decks

Wooden houses are preferred by many people for their natural beauty, warmth and overall picture-perfect quality. However, wooden homes can be difficult to maintain; they require proper regular maintenance to last long. One effective method is to use treated wood, not only for wooden homes, but also for wooden decks in non-wooden homes.

Pressure treatment is one common way of treating wood. Sometime after 2004, CCA or Chromated Copper Arsenate-treated lumber has been banned for home use and can only be used for agricultural or industrial purposes. It has since been replaced by two water-borne compounds: alkaline copper quat (ACQ types B and D) and copper azole (CBA-A, CA-B), which are low-toxicides that resist insects, mold and rot. As an alternative, an oil-based penetrating stain can also be used to treat wooden decks by coating it every couple of years.

Another method of wood treatment uses chemicals that create a clear layer of polymer on top of the outdoor wood, giving it a plastic-like protective coating. Most people prefer this type of treatment that using oil-based sealers. Three types of preservatives are used for pressure treated wood:

1) Water-born preservatives that include CCA, ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate (ACZA) and ammoniacal copper quat (ACQ) are mainly used for industrial purposes.

2) Oil-born preservatives are used to treat wood for domestic purposes, like wooden decks, indoor pools, utility poles, etc.

3) Creosote is a preservative used for treating wood in structures like bridges, docks, guardrails, etc.