Thoughts on fearing chemicals, ignoring wood, and building green

pnesenveD wooD SERVES its pur|. pose admirably. with qualities that are unmatched by current alternatives. It will probably be specified and depended on for many years to come. But treated wood is a very mature product. Few new applications are emerging, and existing applications face growing competition from composites, steel, concrete, plastics, and tropical hardwoods.

The current state of the construction industry has depressed the sales of treated wood, along with the morale of those trying to sell building materials. This will pass, but today's economy masks foreboding issues that need attention if preserved lumber is to continue as a major building product.

Not long ago, I thought sales of pressure treated wood might be cut severely by chemophobia, a fear of chemicals. Many people are leery of chemicals-until they become ill, when they demand all of the medicines they can swallow, inject, or otherwise apply. Fear of chemicals led to the change in the preservative used to treat residential lumber and fear remains a factor in selling preserved wood to some consumers, but I've sensed a shift in chemical concerns. Five or l0 years ago, our website got frequent questions like "Is this wood safe for my children?" Now we more often hear "Is this wood safe in my garden?" Either people have become more comfortable with our chemicals or less concerned with their kids. For the most part, people don't care about the chemicals in their wood, or they would rather not think about them. Professional buyers care about performance. Homeowners care especially about appearance. Everybody wants material that is reasonably priced.

The treated wood industry could probably help itself by addressing our product as preserved rather than pressure-treated wood. A long time ago, the founding fathers of the industry called their product "pressure treated" wood, no doubt to distinguish it from wood that was coated with a treating solution or dipped in a solution. Treated and pressure treated are accurate descriptions of the process used to create the product, but these terms do not offer a benefit that might persuade consumers to choose it. I suggest that we make more frequent use of the term, preserved wood, especially when communicating with potential buyers.

However, a rosy future for pre- served wood needs more than public confidence in chemicals and a name adjustment. The forest products industry faces a void in wood education. Few universities offer courses in wood technology or in wood design and construction. From science majors to future architects, students are not learning about wood. We stand to lose both potential recruits to replace us and potential customers to specify and buy our products. A promising industry-supported program, Wood Education Institute, is under way to develop presentations for university programs, but its progress has been slow and it will not solve this widespread condition by itself.

The lack of appreciation of wood extends beyond college students. It may result, at least in part, from the competitiveness of our industry. We have been so busy battling each other over subtle chemical differences that we have neglected to make the public aware of the benefits of wood. This is particularly discouraging with regard to the environment. It bothers me when young people-and not-soyoung people-look down on wood products and on those of us involved in wood products because they think that using wood is harmful to the environment. Your own kids may believe this. Some of your employees may feel uneasy about their work. People fail to realize that if they want large, healthy forests, we should use more wood, not less.

We are the good guys on this issue. We deal with one of the most environmentally beneficial building products. So far, environmental considerations do not seem to be affecting sales of treated wood in one direction or the other. It is mystifying to me why the leading green building rating system gives no points for wood preservation and awards very few points for wood at all. It presently accepts only one forest certification system, while steel, concrete, bamboo, and other materials get a free pass-they do not have to be certified.

Let me remind you why you are an environmental good guy if you are making, selling. or promoting preserved wood:

. Preserved wood is made from plentiful species of wood, the only major building product that is sustainable.

The trees come from managed timberlands where they grow rather rapidly. They are replenished in as little as two decades' time.

. The collection and processing of wood uses far less energy than that required for production of alternative materials, even when you add in pressure treatment.

The treating process extends the life of the resource, reducing demands on forests and eliminating the extra transportation necessary for shorterlived products.

. Trees absorb carbon dioxide as they growand wood products sequester carbon, two factors that reduce greenhouse gas.

The treating process emits no wastewater, and government agencies classify the air pollutants as "insignificant."

. Copper-based preservatives are made largely from recycled materials, namely copper wire and etchants.

Because wood is so strong for its weight, wood projects can often be installed with lighter-weight, lowerimpact equipment than required to install other building materials.

Wood provides noteworthy insulation-thermal, acoustic and electrical.

On top of these environmental features, wood is readily available, easily modified and painted or stained, and can be worked with common tools and without special skills. Wood has a natural appearance that people like. Plastics are trying to look like wood; we don't try to make wood look like plastic. And, if that isn't enough, preserved wood is usually less expensive than competitive materials. Despite the differences in our industry, I hope we can agree on the benefits of preserved wood and we will take steps to spread the word. Our companies should have information like this on our websites, insert it into our literature, put excerpts on price sheets, use environmental facts on emails, and add them to telephone on-hold messages. We should make sure that our sales staffs recognize the benefits. Much of this effort will entail preaching to the choir. I say, "Preach to the choir." Right now they need the sermon, too. It will ripple outward. And do not hesitate to go into classrooms and tell students what you do.

We're involved with an exceptional product. Let's not allow it to fade because of ignorance that we neglected to correct.

- Huck DeVenzio thinks that November is a good time to get on his soapbox concerning preserved wood. When not kissing babies, he is manager of marketing communications for Arch Wood Protection and a frequent author of articles explaining pressure teated wood and promoting the Wolmanized brand. Reach him at hdevenzio@ archchemicals.com. This article was adapted from a speech by DeVenzio at the May 24 annual meeting of the American Wood Protection Association.

Decking Tiles