TREATED WOOD EDUCATION

With many working from home, online courses on treated wood o ered through WWPI’s eUniversity were popular this past year. Two courses—on preservative- and re-retardant-treated wood products—drew nearly 1,000 users.

More go online for PTW courses

WHILE THE PANDEMIC frequently asked questions at SPIB is, “What do the stamps or tags on preserved lumber mean?” At rst glance, the information included on these quality marks can seem confusing and appears to be written in some sort of secret spy code…but have no fear! You don’t have to be a superhero or code breaker to understand preserved wood quality marks. We’re here to help!

While the pandemic forced students online for school, professionals also headed to the web to learn more about products—including preservative- and re-retardant-treated wood.

Two online courses developed by Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI) saw a record number of students earning continuing education units (CEUs) in 2020, fueled by increased use in the preserved wood products. Nearly 1,000 professionals earned CEUs by taking the courses on preserved wood and re-retardant treated wood last year.

Interest in preservative-treated wood was particularly strong, with visits increasing by more than 20% from 2019. The increases re ected the expanded demand for preserved wood as both professional and do-it-yourself projects such as new decks, fences and outdoor accessories soared.

The two courses are available at AEC Daily, an online education platform that attracts 350,000 users per month. While the online platform is tailored for architects and speci ers, it is open to all and can be downloaded at no charge. Visitors can either download a self-directed course or view a narrated version via web browser.

The courses are particularly helpful for those selling preservative- and re-retardant-treated wood products. Each course reviews how to select the proper preserved wood product for any application and o ers important tips so users can achieve the longest durability possible for their projects.

After completing a course, users take a 10-question quiz to earn CEUs from more than 25 di erent organizations, include the American Institute of Architects, Landscape Architects and National Association of Home Builders.

WWPI raised the pro le courses in 2020 by creating the online Wood That Lasts eUniversity (wwpi.info/WTL_online) that includes links to the courses as well as “textbooks” in the form of downloadable publications.

Since the courses debuted in mid-2018, more than 2,600 have earned CEUs by taking one or both courses. For distributors selling preserved wood products, having more knowledgeable customers, based on responses from users surveyed after taking the course. Some 77% indicated the course in uenced their speci cations for preserved wood, while 94% said they would use the products in future projects.