EPA Press Release Concerning CCA Lumber

FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY, FEB. 12, 2002

WHITMAN ANNOUNCES TRANSITION FROM CONSUMER
USE OF TREATED WOOD CONTAINING ARSENIC

Contact: Dave Ryan, 202-564-7827

EPA Administrator, Christie Whitman, today announced a voluntary decision by industry to move consumer use of treated lumber products away from a variety of pressure-treated wood that contains arsenic by December 31, 2003, in favor of new alternative wood preservatives. This transition affects virtually all residential uses of wood treated with chromated copper arsenate, also known as CCA, including wood used in play structures, decks, picnic tables, landscaping timbers, residential fencing, patios and walkways/boardwalks. By Jan. 2004, EPA will not allow CCA products for any of these residential uses.

"This action will result in a reduction of virtually all residential uses of CCA-treated wood within less than two years," said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. "Today's announcement greatly accelerates the transition to new alternatives, responding to marketplace demands for wood products that do not contain CCA. This transition will substantially reduce the time it could have taken to go through the traditional regulatory process."

"This is a responsible action by the industry," Whitman continued. "Today's action will ensure that future exposures to arsenic are minimized in residential settings. The companies deserve credit for coming forward in a voluntary way to undergo a conversion and retooling of their plants as quickly as possible. The transition to new alternatives will provide consumers with greater choice for their building needs."

The transition period will provide consumers with increasingly more non-CCA treated wood alternatives as the industry undergoes conversion and retooling of their industrial equipment and practices, while also allowing adequate time to convert treatment plants with minimal economic disruption for the industry's employees. Beginning immediately, and over the next 22 months, wood treatment plants will convert to new alternative wood preservatives that do not contain arsenic. In the current year, manufacturers expect a decline in production of CCA products for affected residential uses up to 25 percent, with a corresponding shift to alternatives. During 2003, the companies expect the transition away from CCA to continue and increase, with a decline in production of CCA products for affected residential uses up to 70 percent, with a corresponding shift to alternatives. New labeling will be required on all CCA products, specifying that no use of CCA will be allowed by the wood-treating industry for the affected residential uses after Dec. 31, 2003.

EPA has not concluded that CCA-treated wood poses unreasonable risks to the public for existing CCA-treated wood being used around or near their homes or from wood that remains available in stores. EPA does not believe there is any reason to remove or replace CCA-treated structures, including decks or playground equipment. EPA is not recommending that existing structures or surrounding soils be removed or replaced. While available data are very limited, some studies suggest that applying certain penetrating coatings (e.g., oil-based semi-transparent stains) on a regular basis (one re-application per year or every other year depending upon wear and weathering) may reduce the migration of wood preservative chemicals from CCA-treated wood.

Arsenic is a known human carcinogen and, thus, the Agency believes that any reduction in the levels of potential exposure to arsenic is desirable. As always, when children play outside, whether around CCA-treated play structures or not, they should wash their hands prior to eating. Also, food should not be placed directly on any outside surface, including treated wood. CCA-treated wood should never be burned, as toxic chemicals may be released as part of the smoke and ashes. Consumers who work with CCA-treated wood are encouraged to use common sense in order to reduce any potential exposure to chemicals in the wood. Specific actions include sawing, sanding and machining CCA-treated wood outdoors, and wearing a dust mask, goggles and gloves when performing this type of activity. Clean up all sawdust, scraps and other construction debris thoroughly and dispose of it in the trash (i.e., municipal solid waste). Do not compost or mulch sawdust or remnants from CCA-treated wood. Those working with the wood should wash all exposed areas of their bodies thoroughly with soap and water before eating, drinking or using tobacco products. Work clothes should be washed separately from other household clothing before wearing them again.

Chromated copper arsenate, or CCA, is a chemical compound mixture containing inorganic arsenic, copper and chromium that has been used for wood preservative uses since the 1940's. CCA is injected into wood by a process that uses high pressure to saturate wood products with the chemicals. CCA is intended to protect wood from dry rot, fungi, molds, termites, and other pests that can threaten the integrity of wood products.

During the past several months, CCA-treated wood has been the subject of an EPA evaluation under provisions of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, which direct EPA to periodically reevaluate older pesticides to ensure that they meet current safety standards. The Agency is continuing to proceed with a risk assessment. EPA is also continuing to evaluate public comments and input from an external scientific review panel on methodologies to perform a risk assessment for residential settings and potential exposure to children from CCA.

More information on this subject is available at: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/1file.htm

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EPA Ruling on CCA Lumber

CCA lumber .... I remember clearly when I first saw it at the lumber yard. The salesman said, "Here it is. Miracle lumber. You don't ever have to do anything to it." My guess is that this is what the lumber wholesaler told him. For all I know, they all believed what they were saying. I can tell you that 25 years ago, they sure convinced me.

But after installing some of it and seeing what happened when the chemical-saturated lumber dried out, I knew they were wrong. Sure, the wood didn't rot, but it cracked, twisted, warped, cupped, turned gray, etc. In addition, it appears there is a good chance, it was silently contaminating people and property that came into contact with it.

As we all know now, the lumber contained large amounts of three chemicals that were working to preserve it from rot and insect attack. The three chemicals are: inorganic arsenic, copper and chromium. Just about everyone knows what arsenic can do if you ingest enough of it. Copper is somewhat harmless, but chromium is indeed a heavy metal. Ingest too much or too many different heavy metals, and you can have health problems for sure. It is a known fact.

Water is the Problem

The chemicals are delivered into the wood using water. All three of the chemicals can be dissolved in water. Raw lumber is placed in a pressure vessel with the chemical brew solution. The pressure is turned up and the chemical solution is drawn into the wood.

The trouble is that the process can be reversed. Rain water and snow melt can leach these chemicals back out of the lumber that is used on your deck and playset.

You can actually create even more problems if you use a pressure washer to clean your CCA deck or lumber. Why? These devices drive water deep into the lumber. There they can dissolve even more chemicals. The pressure washers also erode the wood fibers that contain the preservatives. This contaminated wood fiber ends up in the soil around your property.

Are you scared yet? Don't be. Should you be concerned? Absolutely yes.

Encapsulation

The Environmental Protection Agency press release concerning this issue clearly states that you don't have to go out and destroy your CCA lumber. You can safely co-exist with it if you simply keep it well sealed. This sealing process stops water from infiltrating into the wood. Stop water infiltration and you stop chemical leaching.

The Best Sealer

Talk to different people about deck sealers and you get different answers. One thing I can tell you is that MANY highly advertised national brands and those available at home centers are made using natural oils. These oils are food for mildew and algae. As soon as the mildewcides contained in these products break down, your deck becomes a buffet for mildew and algae.

I have found, along with thousands of my readers over the past six years, that there is a wonderful synthetic resin sealer called Defy. The Defy product is not mildew food. It is a very environmentally friendly product that is water based. It comes in 10 different colors and is semi-transparent.

NOTE FROM TIM CARTER - Founder of AsktheBuilder.com - posted October, 2016: I no longer would apply Defy deck sealer to any exterior wood that I own at my own home.

What's more, over the past six years, it has consistently finished in the top five of the Earlham University Deck Sealer studies. The bottom line is that it is a superb deck sealer that holds up better than virtually any other product.

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Plywood Tips

Many people have seen plywood swell. It is not a pretty sight. Individual pieces of plywood buckle, twist and sometimes bubble or delaminate. These problems are, more often than not, caused by water or water vapor.

When this swelling takes place after the plywood is installed, flooring, roofing, and or siding products can begin to look less than perfect. Corrective measures can be expensive. Hoping that the plywood will shrink and return to its original shape can be futile. Rarely, if ever, will the plywood return to its original shape and size.

The key to avoiding these problems is to plan for the swelling. This is accomplished quite easily if you simply follow established guidelines offered by plywood manufacturers and associations.

Plywood and Expansion

Wood, because of its cellular and fibrous structure, can readily absorb water. It can absorb water in the liquid state as well as the vapor state. This is extremely important to know, as many residential problems are related to water in the vapor state.

When water vapor levels rise, the cells within a piece of plywood pick up the water. The cells begin to expand ever so slightly. This expansion is greatest along the face of the grain of a piece of wood. This means that on a piece of 4 x 8 plywood, you can experience expansion due to swelling across the 4 foot dimension as well as the 8 foot dimension. Don't forget, plywood has the face grain aligned in two directions! That's why they call it plywood. The face grain of each ply, or layer, is oriented 90 degrees to the ply immediately above or below. You can see this orientation and layering when you look closely at the edge of a piece of plywood.

This means that plywood expands both lengthwise and widthwise when it is subjected to excessive moisture. Knowing this, it is important that you plan for this expansion.

Puckering Plywood

I have seen hundreds of houses where the roofing plywood has been installed improperly. The evidence is unmistakable.

Depending upon the time of day, the angle of the sun in the sky and the pitch of a roof surface, sunlight will expose minor imperfections in either the shingles or the plywood beneath the shingles. The humps and bumps in the roof cause the light to be reflected differently from the ceramic granules on the shingles.

If you install plywood sheets tightly against one another, the edges tend to pucker upwards when they expand. This happens because there is no other direction for them to go to relieve the swelling pressure. In severe cases, the sheets of plywood can actually create humps and dips between the roof framing members.

The Solution - 1/8" Spacing

Plywood manufacturers are aware of these problems. Virtually every one recommends that you, your carpenter or builder create a 1/8 inch gap around all edges when installing plywood. This gap will minimize or totally eliminate any puckering caused by swelling. Use a 16d sinker nail for this purpose. The shaft of the nail is slightly larger than 1/8 inch.

Nailing is Important Too!

In order to achieve the best results when installing plywood products, it is very important to use the proper size nail. The nailing pattern that is used is also very critical. Not all plywood applications require the same size nail or spacing between nails. You must check before you nail. Not only that, the spacing of nails on the edges of a panel are frequently different from the spacing within the panel.

Wind Forces and Plywood

A 4 x 8 piece of plywood when exposed to wind forces is nothing more than a large sail. I have almost been blown off roofs on windy days when handling plywood. Because of the large profile that plywood presents, it is important to nail the edges securely. Strong winds can begin to easily pull plywood from walls or roofs in the event they have not been secured properly. Many manufacturers recommend that nails be spaced no farther apart than 6 inches on the edge of a sheet.

Also, nails should be no closer than 3/8 inch from the edge of a panel and driven flush. Do not countersink these nails!

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Plywood Manufacturers and Wood Products Associations

The following manufacturers and associations can provide you with helpful literature and information concerning plywood, its characteristics, recommended installation and storage procedures, and care instructions to maximize its useful life. Read as much as you can on each web site!

• Georgia Pacific

• K Ply, Inc.

• North American Plywood Corp.

• Weyerhaeuser

• APA - The Engineered Wood Association

• American Wood Council

• Southern Forest Products Association

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Ventilation Hints

Many model building codes call for minimum ventilating areas for attic spaces. The requirements in many of these codes are based on net free ventilation area. This means that you must measure the space of the opening without any screening material which slows air flow. This is often overlooked by many builders. Pot vents with insect screening often have the net free ventilating area stamped on them.

1. The minimum net free ventilation area called for in many building codes is 960 square inches for each 1,000 square feet of ceiling area of the house. If you use a continuous ridge system combined with a continuous soffit system, you can reduce the net free area to 480 square inches.

2. NEVER vent exhaust air from clothes dryers, bathroom fans, or kitchen exhaust fans into attic spaces. These devices can exhaust massive quantities of moist, humid air into attic spaces. Kitchen fans can also exhaust grease laden air into attics which can create an extreme fire hazard.

3. Cathedral ceilings require special attention. Each joist space must be separately vented. Interruptions of framing members for skylights must be side vented to adjacent free flowing joist spaces.

4. During construction, be sure to caulk or seal around all pipes and wires that penetrate the top plates of walls. Air can readily leak into attic spaces around these openings.

I have found that it is often best to vent fans and dryers through the roof. I urge you to watch this video of mine to see how easy it is to install the correct vent-cap flashing on a roof. Have no fear - if done right you will have no leaks.

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Attic Ventilation - - Its Importance and How to do it

Attic ventilation is probably one of the most neglected areas of home construction and remodeling. All too often not enough thought is given to providing adequate ventilation to these spaces.

Confined Spaces

My guess is that virtually everyone who is reading this Bulletin has entered a closed up car which has been sitting in the sun. The temperature and the air in the car can be stifling. Because the air in the car cannot escape, the energy of the sun heats it up. As the sun continues to 'bake' the car, the air molecules get more and more excited. The temperature begins to rise.

Contrary to this, a car left in the sun with the windows down will not be as uncomfortable. The only difference between the two situations is air movement. The car with the windows down allows air to circulate through the car. This circulation or movement creates a cooling effect simply by allowing the heated air to escape from the car.

Attics and Cars

When you think of it, your attic is really not that much different than a car. If your builder did not provide for adequate air movement, your attic is nothing more than a confined space.

A confined space in an attic can cause serious problems both in the summertime and in the winter. The air which is trapped in the confined attic space almost always contains water vapor. This water vapor can and will damage your home.

Condensation & Steam

If you allow air to circulate, it achieves a balance or equilibrium with the air it is mixing with. The moisture content of the air will be balanced as well as the temperature. These are important considerations in attic spaces.

As air is heated, its ability to hold moisture in the vapor state is increased. In fact, as the air becomes heated, water vapor is actually attracted to it. If this happens inside your attic, the plywood face which is exposed begins to absorb this moisture. It is not unlike being in a large pressure cooker.

As we discussed earlier, this moisture can cause problems with the plywood.

On the contrary, in colder weather the confined air in the attic can also cause problems. The roof framing members and plywood of a roof, when not heated by the sun, usually are the same temperature as the outside air. Air constantly leaks from the inside of our houses into the attic. This air almost always has a higher moisture content than the air inside the attic during winter months. If this air is allowed to collect in the attic space, it possibly will condense on the framing members or the plywood sheathing. This moisture can begin to rot the wood.

The Solution - Air Movement

You can eliminate these problems by allowing air to move rapidly and freely through your attic. Remember the car with the windows down? Attic ventilation technology has advanced rapidly in the past 10 years. New products are available which make attic ventilation simple and easy. They are inexpensive and readily available.

Flow-Thru Technology

The key to effective attic ventilation is air movement. Remember, the trick is to get the air in your attic to mix with the air outside as quickly as possible. This can be achieved with flow-thru technology.

Older homes often have triangular gable vents. Any air which exits the attic from these vents must be replaced. These vents are usually only effective if the wind is blowing directly into the vents. That usually doesn't happen very often.

Virtually, every house has a soffit. This soffit creates an overhang at the edge of a roof. Because of the manner in which roofs are framed, these soffit areas are perfect entry points for air to enter attic spaces.

In new construction, continuous ventilation strips are often installed in these soffits. This provides an ample and excellent source for air to begin its upward flow into the attic area.

To make sure that the air flow is not blocked by attic insulation, baffles should be installed. The space between the roof and the outside walls narrows as the roof passes over the outside bearing walls. Insulation can block these areas if not carefully installed. Baffles prevent this from happening.

The baffles provide an unobstructed channel from the soffit area to the attic.

Continuous Ridge Ventilation

After the soffit has been vented, the air must have a place to leave the attic. This is best achieved by installing a continuous ridge vent along the highest points of the roof. This type of venting can also be installed along roof hips. It is important to install as much of this ridge and hip (where applicable) ventilation as possible. This ventilation material combined with the soffit ventilation strips provides an effective flow-thru ventilation system.

The Vacuum Effect

Wind which flows along an object creates a vacuum effect due to a lowering of air pressure. This vacuum can be beneficial when you use continuous ridge type ventilation.

As wind blows across your roof from any direction, it can create a vacuum effect along the ridge vents. Air is sucked from your attic space as long as it can be readily replaced along the soffits. This is one of the reasons soffit vents must be installed. The vacuum effect happens even in the slightest breeze.

Continuous ridge vents are available in many styles. The original vents were aluminum strips which sat on top of the ridge. These were unsightly and they sometimes leaked.

Newer designs allow these vents to be covered with the standard cap shingles that traditionally appeared at the ridge or along hips. These vent strips are made from either hard plastic or dense coarse plastic interwoven fibers.

When applied properly they provide a sleek look to a roof. All you see is a thin shadow line where the cap shingles are raised above the regular shingles.

Pot Vents & Power Vents

You can also use standard pot vents and power ventilating units to move air from your attic. These items work best when used in conjunction with continuous ridge vents.

Pot vents are simply aluminum covers that cover holes which have been cut in your roof. They come in various sizes and designs.

Power ventilators have electric powered fans attached to a pot vent. Often these are thermostatically controlled to turn on when the attic temperature reaches a certain temperature. They turn off automatically when the attic has cooled to a preset temperature on the thermostat.

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