Is it OK to Use Treated Lumber to Build a Grape Trellis?

Pressure treated lumber is treated with chemicals to make the lumber durable. These chemicals are toxic and well-known carcinogens. They are harmful to health. It is therefore not OK to use treated lumber for a grape trellis.

Types of Treatment Chemicals

Chemicals usually used to treat lumber are alkaline copper and quartenary ammonium, chromated copper arsenic, copper azole treatment and copper boron and creosote.

Warning

All chemicals used to treat lumber are harmful to health. Arsenic is a well-known poison and all the other chemicals are carcinogens.

History

In 2000, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) investigated the risks of timber treated with arsenic and found that human contact with the timber caused lung and skin cancer. In 2003, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission released the results of its study that children who play on equipment made of treated lumber risk developing lung and bladder cancer when they become adults.

Alternatives

Linseed oil rubbed on untreated timber, untreated red cedar, and recycled and plastic lumber consisting of chemical-free polypropylene are alternatives to treated lumber for a sturdy grape trellis.

Regulations

The National Organic Program states that lumber treated with arsenate should not be used for tomato stakes or for a grape trellis.

References

• Trellis Information
• Grape Trellis

Photo Credit

Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of John Haslam