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THE POSSIBILITIES KEEP GROWING: REDWOOD

Nature’s majestic pillars.

Re Red dw wood i ood is o s on ne o e of t f th he s e st tr ro on ng ge es st a t an nd f d fa as st te es st g t gr ro ow wi in ng s g so of ft tw wood spe ood spec ci ie es s. . It thrives in some of the most productive timberlands in the world. Redwood is known for its timeless durability without the use of chemicals. Due to its flawless formation, there has never been a Redwood recall. There is a grade of Redwood for every application, every budget, and every customer. “Growing beyond measure.”

Call or visit us today. Our family of Redwood timberland owners will continue to be your reputable and reliable source of Redwood.

Call us at 707.894.4241

TREES ARE NATURE’S sustainable building blocks. “Preservatives ensure that wood lasts long enough for the new harvest to grow and mature,” says Western Wood Preservers Institute executive director Dallin Brooks. (Photos by Arxada)

Sustainable, natural, beautiful wood with preservative staying power

It may have been said before, but it bears repeating. Wood is an ideal building material.

For thousands of years, societies have built their infrastructures, their homes, their livelihoods with wood. Today is no different. Just look around the areas in which we live and it’s easy to spot wood building components–engineered wood in mid-rise and commercial applications, poles and piling supporting utility lines and docks, and lumber enhancing backyards across the country.

“Wood is the ideal choice for a number of reasons,” says Eric Lummus, Arxada’s director of commercial operations. “It is harvested from managed forest lands that are continually replanted. It is easy to work with whether you’re a contractor or a DIYer. It is enhanced with preservatives that help it last. It is easily maintained. And, finally, it is still affordable and readily available for purchase.”

Sustainable Wood.

Wood is nature’s sustainable building block that comes from an abundant natural resource that is easily and quickly replenished. It has excellent workability in all aspects of construction and, when preserved and used properly, can be designed to create outdoor living spaces that bring indoor comforts to the outside.

Wood is a sustainable product that is responsibly sourced from managed forest lands. Trees used in the building industry come from forests grown as crops—much like cotton or soy is grown. They are harvested. The land is left to rest for a few months then replanted at the rate of approximately 400 trees per acre. The forest is maintained and cared for 30+ years before it is harvested again. Parcels of managed forest lands are in different stages of growth so that not all the forest is harvested at one time. During the growing process, the privately-owned forest land is home to wildlife and often used by birdwatchers and hikers. Between sawmills and product manufacturers, every part of harvested trees is used for poles, piling and dimensional lumber, pulp for paper mills, animal bedding, and mulch for gardens.

Preferable Wood.

Wood is as relevant as ever in today’s construction environment and is still relied upon as the building material that offers functional beauty. Wood’s design flexibility, strength and natural beauty allow it to be used for a wide range of construction from buildings to backyard projects.

“Wood is not just for the enhance-

ment of outdoor living,” says Brian Delbrueck, Arxada’s head of business development, wood specialties. “More and more engineered wood is being used in the construction of the world’s infrastructure. With wood’s characteristics, it is an excellent choice for midrise housing construction as well as for arenas and office complexes.”

Whether it’s for a simple weekend project or a major construction project, wood is easy to use and adaptable to be modified on the job site. Wood can be stained to match existing construction or changed to suit current trends. It is easily sourced and will never be out of stock or discontinued. It can be used year-round and is easily maintained and repaired.

Treated wood is the ideal building material for backyard projects. Because of its ease of use, do-it-yourselfers are able to use simple tools to complete weekend projects like decks, picnic tables, raised bed planters, retaining walls and more.

For more complicated projects, contractors and builders also choose treated wood because of its strength properties, affordability, and because it is easy to work with and maintain.

Enhanced Wood.

“The wood protection industry focuses on ensuring the wood used in construction lasts long enough for a new crop of trees to grow to maturation,” explains Dallin Brooks, executive director of the Western Wood Preservers Institute. “Preservatives offer protection that shield wood from its natural enemies.”

In order to extend the life of wood, it is treated with preservatives that do not impede its natural beauty. During the treatment process, wood is infused with preservative that helps it last longer in any application. One example, Arxada’s Wolman E copper azole preservative has been selected for decades to enhance the performance of wood, making it resistant to termite attack and fungal decay.

“Other products, such as anti-sapstains and FrameGuard preservative, can be sprayed onto wood to protect it from mold, moisture, termites and decay,” explains Brian. “While anti-sapstain products are specially designed to shield lumber during the milling process, FrameGuard preservative protects wood used in the construction of structures.”

Brian says that the protection possibilities for wood do not end with simple construction. Other products can be added to mass timber during the glueline process. “These particular products have been used globally to protect CLT, glulam, and other engineered wood products for years.”

Affordable Wood.

The cost of treated wood is significantly less than other choices. Upkeep cost is minimal and could include cleaning and brightening, water repellent, and paint or stain.

Preserving wood for a backyard project or for a mid-rise building enhances the value of the project. It offers owners peace of mind in the knowledge that their project will last.

Treated Wood.

Treated wood is a naturally beautiful building material that is easy to use and manipulate by contractors and doit-yourselfers alike. Once a residential project is built, the homeowner can enjoy an enhanced quality of outdoor living for years with minimal future maintenance. Likewise, structures built with engineered wood are both strong and beautiful and ready for immediate occupancy. To learn more, visit www. wolmanizedwood.com/home/education-center/whywood.

– Belinda Remley is a marketing communications professional with Arxada (www. arxada.com), preservative manufacturer behind Wolmanized Outdoor Wood.

PRESERVED WOOD is ideal for many outdoor applications—pergolas, decks, raised bed gardens, fences and more.

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Photo by Viance Can pressure treated lumber be used for raised garden beds?

While there is scientific consensus that treated wood can be used for garden and vegetable beds, the information below explains what chemicals are used in Viance ground contact treated wood for residential use and the results of numerous scientific studies.

The American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) specifies the use of treated lumber for horticultural purposes to be Ground Contact. In the AWPA Book of Standards, copper azole (CA) and alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) are listed preservatives for Ground Contact use in residential applications. CA is widely available under the brand name Preserve and is sold at 84 Lumber and independent lumber dealers across North America. ACQ is being replaced with CA-C or CA-B, prompted by the demand for quaternary needed in cleaning products due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

CA and ACQ preservatives contain copper, the primary fungicide and termiticide in Viance’s Ground Contact product. The fungicide prevents soil fungus from attacking the lumber and works to deter insects, including termites. Copper is also a common fungicide for food crops used by consumers for growing vegetables and is a disinfectant in swimming pool chemicals.

Of interest to the home gardener is whether any of the preservative components in treated wood used to construct a raised bed garden could render the food crop unsafe for consumption. The available evidence suggests no.

New Research Study in Progress

Dr. Gerald Presley, assistant professor at Oregon State University, began a small-scale study in 2020 on metal leaching in treated wood garden boxes. After one year, the data shows no difference in copper (Cu) content in vegetable matter harvested from treated or untreated boxes. Dr. Presley will plant each year, rotating crops, and monitor metals over a four- to five-year time period. The goal is to annually sample soil and crops to build a large, long-term dataset on many vegetables over the life of a garden box.

Dr. Presley explains, “We still have a few more samples to process from year one, but from what we see now there does not appear to be any measurable impact of treated wood garden boxes on metal levels in vegetables.”

Annual data from this study will be presented at the AWPA meeting and published in the proceedings. Data will also be available to members of the Environmental Performance of Treated Wood Research Cooperative in annual reports.

Prior Research

John Harrison, president of JRH Toxicology, a consulting firm specializing in scientific advice to the industry and government, writes in 2017 that CA and ACQ have been carefully evaluated for safety and registered by the Health Canada Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for use in residential construction applications. He stated in a bulletin

titled Treated Wood in Raised Bed Gardening, “Scientific evidence and data have shown that using pressure treated wood for raised bed or box gardening is safe to adults and children in terms of the plants grown and used in these containers.”

He further explains, “All chemicals in consumer products have a toxicity and most are very low, so they are not a problem, especially those regulated by the federal government. This is also the case with currently registered wood preservatives that contain copper. In fact, small amounts of copper are necessary for human and plant life and termed “an essential trace element.”

Dr. Scott Leavengood, associate professor, College of Forestry at Oregon State University, and director of the Oregon Wood Innovation Center, authored an article for the OSU Extension Service, titled “Raised Bed Lumber, Pressure Treated Safe?” In this article, Leavengood gives his opinion that the consensus among researchers is that the low levels of chemicals in preservative treated wood that leach out of the wood into the soil are likely to be taken up by the plants only in very small amounts. There has been no evidence to suggest that the level of the chemicals is significant enough to be of concern for human health.

In a 2014 study, wood research scientists Love, Gardner and Morrell at Oregon State University found that in growing radishes, carrots and potatoes in a copper azole treated Douglas-fir planter, the copper levels were not higher in roots or tubers of radishes, carrots or potatoes compared to beds constructed from untreated wood. They also stated that when people are concerned about the migration of wood preservatives, they can use polyethylene (plastic) to line the inside of the planter. Their scientific results indicated that although plastic lining is “not entirely necessary,” it can be used if there are safety concerns. The use of a plastic barrier will also extend the life of the preserved wood and help keep the raised bed garden soil within the bed area. For proper drainage, the plastic material should not be used underneath the raised bed garden.

Safe practices for working with treated wood recommend treated wood not be used where it may come into direct or indirect contact with drinking water or a component of food, animal feed or beehives. The USDA prohibits treated lumber for soil contact use in their certified National Organic Program published in 2011. The updated draft dated September 5, 2018, states that CA and ACQ are not currently allowed because they are not included on the National List of allowed synthetic materials (7 CFR part 205, page 425).

Viance recommends for those who have concerns to line the interior walls only with heavy plastic sheeting. There have been no justified claims that today’s treated lumber causes any negative effects from leaching into the soil.

– Edie Kello is director of marketing for Viance (treatedwood. com), an industry leader in the development of wood treatment technologies and services. Reach her at ekello@viance.net.

New series details green benefits of treated wood

ConsUmers are becoming more aware of the environmental impact of the products they are buying. For preserved wood, a new series of information sheets will help answer those questions and increase the public’s understanding of the green benefits of this wood.

PreserveWise is a new series of publications developed by WWPI that provides critical information on how preserved wood is an environmentally friendly choice for building materials.

The first in the series, “Sustainability of Preserved Wood Products,” was released in early March. The twopage guide reviews why wood offers many advantages over other materials, from the sustainability of our forest resources to the longevity of preserved wood in service. It notes that pressure treating wood products can keep in place for decades, long enough to grow a new tree that can become a replacement.

Three more titles are planned in the series. These include preserved wood and carbon sequestration, life cycle assessments comparing materials and the safety of today’s preservatives.

The PreserveWise sheet on sustainability can be downloaded at no charge from the online technical library at www.preservedwood.org.

NEW SERIES of info sheets digs deep into the environmental benefits of pressure treated wood