Pressure-treated sill etc.

[Pappa1986]

Hello.

I am interested in a house that has partially pressure-treated sill plates and the wood supporting the crawl space is also pressure-treated.
If we buy it, I will replace this, but my wife is worried that the interior walls are also made of pressure-treated wood.

I'm not personally worried about the interior walls being pressure-treated wood, but is there a way to check when we visit the showing?
Does anyone have any tips?

 

[MagHam]

When was it built/made?

 

[Pappa1986]

When was it built/made?

The extension was made in 1993

 

[MagHam]

The substance that gave off a bad smell when damp/decomposing pressure-treated wood was banned in 1978. (Of course, a smaller amount of stored wood might have been used a few years after that.) If it's built in 1993, I would be 99.9% calm and not worry at all. If you want to be sure, you can drill out some chips and send them for analysis concerning PCP, but it takes time and costs a bit.

 

[Pappa1986]

The substance that caused a bad smell when damp/decaying of pressure-treated wood was banned in 1978. (then a smaller amount of stored wood might have been used a few years after that of course). If it's built in 1993, I would be 99.9% calm and not worry at all. If you want to be sure, you can drill some shavings and send them for analysis for PCP, but that takes time and costs a bit.

Ok. Thanks for the response. It's mostly my wife who is worried if it's dangerous now, even if it doesn't get water damaged? Can it be hazardous to health now even if it's lying there dry and fine?

Or can one assume that now 30 years have passed and the toxins present during manufacturing have left the wood?

 

[Stefan1972]

It's not dangerous in that way, but it can give a strange and lasting smell.......I've never heard anything about the toxins themselves causing anything. (okay, they can in theory but the levels are usually too low) In that case, you would have to chew on the wood...........

 

[MagHam]

...Or can one assume that now 30 years have passed and the toxins present during production have left the wood?

Note. I am not an expert on this beyond what I have read.
But if we put aside Pentachlorophenol, which disappeared from 1978 onwards, it's mostly about (semi)metal salts based on Arsenic, Chromium, and Copper. They remain where they are unless you plan to grind the wood and eat it
Nowadays, it's just copper in the simpler classes.
//Outdoors, there was also creosote (coal tar) in utility poles before, but that wasn't typically used for construction as far as I've encountered//

 

[Pappa1986]

Note. I am not an expert on this beyond what I have read.
But if we disregard Pentachlorophenol, which disappeared from 1978 onwards, it is mostly about (semi)metal salts based on Arsenic, Chromium, and Copper. They stay where they are unless you plan to grind the wood and eat it
Nowadays, there is only copper in the simpler classes.
//Outdoors there was also creosote (coal tar) in power poles before, but it was nothing you usually built with that I've encountered//

Many thanks for the thorough answers. Now I can reassure her (won't have to replace the sill) phew

 

[MagHam]

Of course, no one here on the forum can guarantee what the timber contains. Theoretically, it could have been brought over on a trailer from some eastern country with fewer regulations, or stored in a barn for the past 50 years. But that's far-fetched.

 

[Pappa1986]

Of course, no one here on the forum can guarantee what the wood contains. It could theoretically have been brought in on a trailer from some eastern country with fewer regulations, or stored in a barn for 50 years. But that's far-fetched.

Yes, that's completely true, but as you say, less likely.
Have a nice weekend.