Treated 1"x10" and 1"x6"Timber

[Mike.C]

As I said elsewhere my wife wants me to lay a new floors in the bedroom and the scullery.

Well because we have the machines, like most members do when ordering hardwood, I ordered sawn pine (half the price of PAR) and was going to put it through the p/t.

As it was only pine I ordered it over the phone, and it has just been delivered. The only trouble is I have now found out that it is treated.

When I ordered the timber I explained what I wanted it for and I have just phoned them again and they told me that all the sawn softwood they sell is treated and that I should have no problems (health wise) when planing and sanding the stuff, but I am not too sure because of the chemicals they use in the treatment, and even wearing a mask there is still going to be at least some of it in the air after I have finished.

We live in a 300 year old granite house and SWMBO after sanding just wants it finished with a water based varnish.

What do members think, is treated wood dangerous to plane and sand?

I could just send it back and get PAR somewhere else, but as some of you know after a number of years I am only just getting back on my feet and into the workshop, and she has been waiting for this floor for a long while, so I really want to get on with it but if it is bad news to plane I will have no choice.

Cheers

Mike

 

[superunknown]

I have always been under the impression that treated timber is not great stuff to handle and have always washed my hands after handling it and worn a mark when cutting it, I could of course be misguided

 

[bjm]

Treated with what? - if treated with a water-borne preservative I would be more worried about it being too wet and shrinking after you have fitted it. If it's only had a surface coating then it will be removed in the planing anyway. I'd sent it back and get some dry, untreated timber for peace-of-mind.

Brian

 

[Mike.C]

All I know is that it is the green tinted treatment and it is perfectly dry, unusual I know for sawn, but it is if it has not been kept outside.

Cheers

Mike

 

[WellsWood]

All the heavy metals (Arsenic, Chromium etc.) that used to be present in green tanalith are no longer used. AFAIK they were outlawed around 2000, so as long as your timber was treated after that point it's as safe as houses.

FWIW I did some research on the stuff around the time of the ban and even then, supposedly, the Arsenic etc. was locked into the cells of the timber so effectively that even if you ate it it presented no real hazard. The study I read (please don't ask me which study) reckoned the only way to release the harmful stuff back into the environment was to burn it, which was ironic 'cos that's exactly what I wanted to do :roll:
Only a year or so ago though I came across further research from the states on "old style" tanalised timber where alarmingly high levels of heavy metals were found in the ground under decking and the like, which appeared to have leached out of the timber.
I'm sure that with very little effort you could google up countless contradictory reports regarding the safety or otherwise of both old and new style tanalith.

None of them, however, will alter the fact that it will look rubbish as a floor unless your stock is thick enough to plane away all that green stain - it's done under pressure so it goes pretty deep and I'd be surprised if you ended up with thick enough timber for a viable floor unles you start with about 32mm stock.
If your local timber merchants are like mine then untreated sawn softwood is simply not available any more - no call for it apparently - except from the likes of you and me that is :roll:

Whether we like it or not, for the forseeable, as far as softwood is concerned:
sawn = treated
untreated = PAR

If you explained what you wanted it for and they still sent you tanalised timber then frankly they don't deserve your custom - send it back and take you money elsewhere. Buy proper T&G flooring, which will keep all the draughts and creepy carwlies out anyway, and simplify the job so much it easily justify the extra initial expense.

 

[OPJ]

As long as the timber is dry, you should be okay. This stuff (ACQ is the one I've come across; CCA, with arsenic, was the older mix) is most dangerous when it's wet.

I would still take precautions when sanding this stuff, certainly and, even planing it.

You might want to check the moisture content of the timber too. I know that "tanalised" timber can be slightly higher than usual sawn softwood. There's a company very near to me (until recently, I worked there) who sell "treated" timber with a M/C anywhere between 40% and 60% on average! In order to accept the treatment, the timber must have less 28/29% moisture before going in to the tank, otherwise it just sticks to the outside and cannot soak. They know this and record it very well. Yet, they couldn't care less about the fact they're not actually selling pressure-treated timber! :evil:

It's interesting as I've also noticed an increase in the amount of treated sawn timber on offer over the untreated stuff. This only seems to be on the cheaper stuff, such as spruce. I can still find good quality joinery timber (redwood) available as sawn or PAR, untreated.

It's very strange though. Surely, it takes more effort and therefore costs more to buy/import timber which has been treated?!

Must have something to do with the growth and demand of China and Dubai, etc.

 

[Gary M]

Hi Mike,
Unless you want a whole lot of heartache, send it back.
Treated (tanalised) timber is soaking wet at the best of times.
Planing is a no no. not because of the treatment but because it will rip the timber to bits and lift lumps out of the surface.
I have routered rebates and grooves in tanalised timber and it really fluffs up on the edges, and its a nightmare to sand.
don't get me wrong, if its really really dry it should be easier to work with.
I assume this will be a finished floor ??
If you want to machine your own floor boards, i would suggest you go for something like douglas fir or canadian pine, Kiln dried of course.
Even PAR redwood or whitewood will be prone to warping/shrinking as it acclimatizes to temperatures in your house.
HTH,
Gary.

 

[OPJ]

Another point is that treated timber has a blunting effect on any knife or cutter edge.

Depending on what kind of finish you want to apply afterwards (if any), you may have to consider your options.

 

[Mike.C]

It's going back tomorrow. I don't know what I was thinking of really. Well I do, because I buy hardwood like that I thought I would save a few bob and plane my own (PAR is double the price) but I had no idea that they do not sell non treated sawn softwood now and they never told me, even though they knew what I was using it for.

Thanks for all your advice.

Cheers

Mike

 

[ProShop]

Joinery sawn is still widely available in these parts. I assume you did ask for joinery sawn quality softwood ??.

It sounds as if you have been delivered Tanalised timber (greeen colour) as mentioned above if you plane it most of the tanalith will be removed, planing this is not recommended, chemical release etc.

Maybe the supplier has stopped stocking ordinary sawn due to lack of demand, not many people buying it for floor joists or traditional roof trusses etc.

But for what you wanting it for ask for Joinery Quality sawn, you should find some suppliers in your area for that.


hope this helps.



..

 

[dickm]

Mike
If you <really> want sawn softwood, would it be worth trying either Clansman timber in Methlick, or the sawmill in Mosstodloch that advertises in Scot-Ads? They both seem to have locally sourced stuff, of varying quality, treated or untreated.

 

[Mike.C]

Thanks Proshop, I think might be right and that there is no call for it.

**** thanks mate I will check them both out.

Cheers

Mike

 

[OPJ]

I've noticed in the last couple of years that more roofing work (cut and fix, rather than pre-fabricated trusses) is being done with tanalised timber too.