# pressure treated lumber, how dry should it be?



## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

planning on building some adirondack chairs out of pressure treated lumber. im using 5/4×6 pine from home depot and when i bought it most of the stuff was really wet so i stickered and stacked it all when i got home and its been drying for about 3 weeks. it seems to be quite a bit dryer then when i brought it home so i was wondering if it would be ok to go ahead and build the chairs? i know i wont be able to put a finish on them til its completely dry so thats not a big deal.

the chairs are going to be outside on our patio which has a cover. they will see occassional rain if the wind is blowing hard and late day sunshine


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## drewnahant (Dec 10, 2009)

You should be alright using your PT boards. they will undoubtedly warp a bit, but that is just unavoidable on these. Key is to watch what they do when you cut, if you are using your table saw, be sure to use a riving knife or wedges. cut your big pieces first, so if you notice a lot of internal stress coming out, you can cut them down to the smaller pieces and use more stable boards for the big ones.

Last Year I actually built a set with *WET* PT, didnt want to, but the customer ( my neighbor) wanted them quick because they were having a big party and wanted them around a fire pit. anyway, they warped far less than I expected. I always wait a year to finish outdoor PT, but if your have been drying inside, or in a warm environment without rain, you can probably do it much sooner.


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## kiefer (Feb 5, 2011)

i have some concern about using treated lumber as ther are too many health concerns and also have found
that ordinary fasteners will not last as they corrode very quicklly
i sell fasteners to the construction trade and see this every day
i would not touch that stuff no matter what the claims are
a friend of mine just sold his nearly new house which contains some treated lumber because his family developed health problems soon after moving in

kiefer


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

well its acq-d treated so it should be ok. plan on either hot dipped galvanized or stainless if its not to expensive

how old was your friends house? the epa put restrictions on the cca treated lumber in 2004, i havent heard of any health problems with the new stuff


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## kiefer (Feb 5, 2011)

the house is about 2 years old and i am not sure what the lumber treatment is acq-c or d
but i still have concerns about any acq treatment because the c treatment was to be safe
for fasteners i would go with stainless but the cost i way up there
ceramic coated screws are also used and are ok 
but i would stick with pine or cedar and use a safe finish before assembly and touch up any screwholes etc
i love my grand children and dont want nothing to do with acq

kiefer


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## prap (Jan 28, 2011)

I have a pair that's about 18 years old that's been sitting outside since day one. Never covered ,never painted, and were put together with stainless steel screws. Every other year I power wash them and then they look almost new again.

Phil


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## CaptRandy (Feb 10, 2011)

I would have concern about PT for sitting. Have heard of situations where someone sat on PT for an extended period of time and found themselves uneasy on their feet when they got up. The chemicals in the wood may have leached into their body and temporarily caused them to lose feeling.


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## craftsman on the lake (Dec 27, 2008)

We use a lot of pressure treated lumber here in maine. I believe that the older dangerous stuff is now illegal and for several years it is safer by government law. On the side of working with it. I've never seen it used for much more than decks or for some wet ground application. It's really not great stuff. it splits and cracks some over time when outside and doesn't work well and for some reason, I don't know why, it's hard on blades.


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