# Safety of a different sort - safe to use pressure treated lumber inside?



## ChrisBarrett (Jul 4, 2015)

So without realizing it, I chopped up a pressure treated 2×8 last night inside the basement to use for my planer stand. This appears to be the MCQ variety of pressure treated lumber. So I have two concerns, one is the sawdust not captured by the dust collector being tracked around the house and then the fact of using this stuff for inside use such as a workstand. Is it safe to keep inside? I know if there's a fire this stuff can put out toxic fumes.

Anyone on the forum a materials expert? :-D Thanks for your advice.

*edit* This stuff is Micronized Copper Quaternary. Also wife is preggo and I don't want to be tracking potentially hazardous stuff around! :-/


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## skatefriday (May 5, 2014)

If call the poison control center. They are pretty knowledgeable about this sort of stuff. Not to be alarming but they can answer questions.


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## BurlyBob (Mar 13, 2012)

Chris, the only way I'd use PT lumber in a basement was if it was in contact with bare concrete. It's got to be the worst wood in the world for anything other that a barrier between concrete, dirt or gravel. I've finally gotten rid of all I had hanging around.


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## JADobson (Aug 14, 2012)

Code in my area requires you to use treated lumber for the bottom plate when framing basements. I would imagine that if there were significant health risks this wouldn't be the case.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

The saw dust is what I would be concerned about. Why not just buy some non treated lumber for your project?


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## ChrisBarrett (Jul 4, 2015)

Yeah I found the MSDS for it, and the lumber itself doesn't offgas or anything. So the biggest risk of having it inside would be in case of a fire. However, I think that the fine dust put into the air *inside* is probably the worst part of working with this stuff.


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## bonesbr549 (Jan 1, 2010)

Like others said, in a basement where ground contact is made, you are requred to use treated in construction. While you do not want to breath a lot of it, I doubt it will be an issue. If the lumber is from china all bets are off!


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## ChrisBarrett (Jul 4, 2015)

Bondo, yeah I am going to. I just used this because it was the only 2×8 that I had. I did not realize it was PT. I never would have cut it up inside if I knew that were the case. This stuff is not green at all, the only thing that gave it away eventually was the fact that it was too dense feeling.


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## ToolAnimalAmos (Jun 3, 2015)

Most everything in your house is going to be toxic when it burns…Just saying.

The dust may be troublesome but seeing as its done Theres not much to worry about at this point. People survived lead paint, lacquer paint, and the 80's. Im sure you'll survive one 2×8


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## ChrisBarrett (Jul 4, 2015)

I have to say though, I barely survived the 80's :-D


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## SCOTSMAN (Aug 1, 2008)

Good God Chris ! Do you mean to say you are now in your Nineties. ?
Wow your nearly as old as our very ,very ,ancient but still living ,and extrmely Big and numerous Diamond type rich. All thanks to us vote-less fools Queenie Elizard berf LO L Alistair


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## ChrisBarrett (Jul 4, 2015)

I suspect that the Scotsman said something funny, but I can't figure what…


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## Dark_Lightning (Nov 20, 2009)

How many cuts did you make? You could try to quantify how much dust was generated. 10 cuts with a 1/8" kerf in a 2X8 is 1.625X7.25X.125, about 1.5 cubic inches. Then find out from the manufacturer how far the treatment penetrates into the wood, and what the percentage is (going to be really, really low). Tell the manufacturer what you did; they should also be able to ballpark how much hazardous material was generated. Then you need to calculate how much of it is actually ingested. This will be microscopic with respect to the amount generated, unless your basement air is exchanged with your house air on a regular basis or you are eating the sawdust. My first order of magnitude guesstimate is that you don't have a problem, based on the amount generated (if you only made 10 cuts), and that a minimal amount of the dust got into the rest of the house. But if I did something like that, I'd wet mop rather than sweep and vacuum the dust, just because I'm that anal.


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## skatefriday (May 5, 2014)

> Most everything in your house is going to be toxic when it burns…Just saying.
> 
> The dust may be troublesome but seeing as its done Theres not much to worry about at this point. People survived lead paint, lacquer paint, and the 80 s. Im sure you ll survive one 2×8
> 
> - ToolAnimalAmos


Hey there, watch it with the 80s bashing.
The 80's delivered us from the evil that was
bell bottoms and shirt collars wider than the Mississippi.

We also got U2, The Smiths, and Depeche Mode from the
80s. None of which are as toxic as lacquer.


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## ChrisBarrett (Jul 4, 2015)

Dark, thanks for the response. I was thinking about it - calling them. But mostly just for future knowledge. I vacuumed everything up with my hepa vac (a real hepa vac, EPA certified) and then wiped all the machines down with simple green. I'm sure it's fine, but I usually just try to be as safe as I can.


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## ChrisBarrett (Jul 4, 2015)

And it probably was 10 cuts in total, both rip and cross cuts.


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## jkl103144 (Mar 19, 2015)

Chris, I know that they have made improvements since about 2003. Forgotten the chemical that is no longer injected into the lumber. With my accumulating allergies with my advancing age, I try to steer clear of the possibility of problems. I'm already having enough trouble with the regular sawdust, if you know what I mean?


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## ChrisBarrett (Jul 4, 2015)

I believe it was CCA, which had arsenic in it.


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