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We all love treated timber very much and it is the number one choice of many people looking for flooring or decking solutions. But not all of us are aware of the treatments offered to timber, before it resurrects as a treated timber. With the help of this post, we have thrown some light on different kinds of treatments or preservatives used in the process.
Types of Timber Treatment
The most commonly used preservatives for timber treatments are:
- Boron Compounds
- CCA Compounds (Copper Chromium Arsenic)
- LOSP (Light Organic Solvent Preservative) – Commonly Tributyl Tin Oxide (TBTO)
Boron Preservative
- Sellers and suppliers of Blackbutt flooring and treated pine say that this is generally a water-based preservative used to transform general timber into treated timber.
- In a majority of cases, you will find this version being used for H1.2 framing timber and this is generally a dyed pink solution.
- However, where it is used for certain H3.1 applications, it is pre-primed in grey and experts say that till date, there have been no reports of health-related side-effects of the same.
LOSP Preservative
This kind of preservative involves the usage of solvents to impregnate timber and chemicals brought into use are –
- TBTO (Tributyltin Oxide)
- TBTN (Tributyltin Napthenate)
- IBPC (Iodo Propynyl Butyl Carbamate)
- CuN (Copper Naphthenate)
Use and handling related instructions:
- Store in a well-ventilated, covered area.
- Remove wrapping to allow vapour to evaporate.
- Wear gloves and long sleeves when handling timber.
- Wear safety glasses and a filter mask when cutting and sanding.
- Avoid working with solvent-damp timber.
- Always wash hands after handling LOSP timber.
- Wash clothes separately if there is sawdust on them.
CCA preservative
- CCA treated timber is also given the name of tanalised timber and this is a combination of copper, chromium and arsenic.
- Because of the presence of arsenic (a hazardous substance), it is not recommended in skin contact use such as children’s playground equipment and hand rails.
Instructions Related To Use and Handling:
- Carry out all cutting, sanding and so on outside.
- Wear a filter mask, safety glasses and gloves.
- Clean up (timber scraps, sawdust) thoroughly afterwards.
- Dispose of waste to an approved (municipal) waste disposal area.
- Do not compost or mulch waste.
- Do not burn waste.
- Wash your hands before eating, drinking or smoking.
- Wash exposed areas of your body after working with treated timber.
- Wash work clothes separately from other clothes.
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