Pressure Treated Wood-Direct Ground Contact

Randell Tarin

When the manufacturers say that pressure treated lumber can be placed in direct contact with the ground, do they REALLY mean in direct contact?

What about below grade or to build a small retaining wall? How long is it supposed to last?

Chops

You can use treated lumber for direct ground contact but just remember that nothing lasts forever. Even treated wood will rott eventually

AtlanticWBConst.

http://wilwaylumber.com/howto/howto082.htm:
"Some estimates place the average life of pressure treated lumber at over 50 years. Some manufacturers guarantee the life for 30 years."

Also: Check the actual rating of the wood:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Building-W...les!&id=239136

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Randell Tarin

That's longer than I'll live!



Thanks for the replies!

troubleseeker

Yes, they really mean it... of course their business depends on selling you new PT wood a few years later. The life of each piece of wood will vary, depending on exactly where it came from within the tree, which has a direct effect on how well it accepts the treatment. I have seen PT wood rot in less than 2 years, and other materials that lasted more than 15.

For material that will last the longest, find a supplier that can provide you with material treated to .60 retention rate. This is the standard for marine usage, and while it will be expensive to purchase, factor in the labor cost a few years down the road to remove and replace what you built the first time, and it is much more attractive, especially for something as labor intensive as a retaining wall.

troubleseeker

Yea, the same marketing people who 'gaurantee" latex caulking for 50 years, the tires on my truck for 75K miles, and the battery for 8 years.

While I have your attention Atlantic, could I interest you in buying some of my special pills? I "gaurantee" they will add 3" to your manhood.

AtlanticWBConst.

Hey, That's why I posted it as a quote from an industry "source". It's not my personal report. Boy, you had to do some digging to find that one....it was posted over a week ago...

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jbfan

That the best you can do???
I get emails daily offering up to 6"

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katherine23

your totaly right!! good post!! keep posting!! like that!!

Bulldog UK - Sheet Metal supplier

troubleseeker

Very observant Atlantic, but I had a legitamate excuse. Actually went out of town for a week with just my wife . Guess I found other things to distract me at night.

troubleseeker

Sorry, but if I had access to the "good" six inch stuff, I would not have to be a contractor and deal with so many morons all day long; I'd save it all for myself and be "in the movies".

yeag6154

Pressure treated lumber has different ratings. some are .25, some .50 and some as high as .60. These numbers refer to the amount of chemicals per foot of board in lbs. If you are putting a board in direct contact with soil it's best to use the highest number available in your area to get the longest life from the wood.

If you are using the lumber for a post (ie deck support or fence post) it is best to seal the lumber with tar to help prevent as much water from entering as possible.

Remember that the wood is pressure treated mainly to keep insects out and does not make the lumber water proof. You'll still have to "treat" your lumber often, with some form of water sealer, ie Thompson's. Be sure to cover as much as possible, especially the cut sections of wood.

With the right care your lumber should last longer than you, but not forever.

dpach

Where I live you can buy different "grades" of pressure treated wood. For direct contact or buried in ground, they recommend what is called "PWF" grade (Preserved Wood Foundation). This has the best rating for ground contact and has the longest life expectancy. It is used for below grade applications like wood basements, footings, etc.

Here, the PWF lumber is CCA treated, not ACQ since you don't have to worry about human contact like you would on decking, etc. But different suppliers may use ACQ also.

ddawg16

Come on, everyone knows that when it comes to woodies, I mean wood, 6" is actually 5 1/2"

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jimmy21

has pressure treated lumber improved over the years? My fence posts are sure rotten