# Is treated lumber safe to use for indoor projects?



## jrturtle (Sep 11, 2017)

I saw some forums that pressure treated lumber can be bad to use indoors because of the chemicals, but that new lumber is a lot safer. Only problem is, this lumber is over 15 years old. It's from my deck we recently tore down, and i just found a couple peices that fit the bill and brought them in to build a desktop.

But once i got them in i realized they stink and starting googling it and found stuff on copper green and arsenic poising. If my pressure treated lumber stinks, is it safe to use indoors?


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I would not want anything in my house that has a poisonous component in it. Some wood preservatives contain arsenic and any chemical that repels insects can't be good for humans or animals.


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## gargey (Apr 11, 2016)

Even if it didn't stink, and even if it is safe, it'd still be a lot better to buy some proper hardwood lumber for a desktop.

No brainer.


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## jrturtle (Sep 11, 2017)

Thanks. Ill go pick up a 2 by 8 later. i was just wondering because if it's free its free.


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## jonah (May 15, 2009)

PT lumber that old will be treated with CCA, copper chromated arsenic. Arsenic is deadly poison if ingested. Do not build anything that comes into regular contact with living things out of that material.


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## mudflap4869 (May 28, 2014)

And NEVER use it in a vegetable garden.


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## Just_Iain (Apr 5, 2017)

Up here in Ontario Canada, use of pressure treated lumber inside your house means the fire department won't go into your house as it's too dangerous. A neighbour was idiot enough to throw some into his fireplace and put his two kids into the hospital. Arsenic is not your friend!


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## mattjrogers (Jan 2, 2013)

Pressure treated lumber today is fine for interior framing. Think about a slab on grade foundation - every wall will have a sill plate that must be pressure treated. Same for a finished basement - the exterior wall framing in contact with masonry must be pressure treated. So most houses already have some small amount of PT framing lumber inside. The new PT treatments are mostly copper based and should be fine in any application where they are covered by plywood, sheetrock, or not in direct contact with your skin.

I don't think that you can find any CCA (chromated copper arsenic) lumber outside of some specialized marine application where they get to use much nastier stuff than anywhere else. Of course, there is old lumber still around, but new stuff should be fine.


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## jonah (May 15, 2009)

He said right in the original post that the lumber is 15 years old.


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## jrturtle (Sep 11, 2017)

Thanks. I threw it out last night. I'll stop by Home Depot and pick up a new 2 by 8 tommorrow


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