How to Cut Pressure Treated Lumber

Cutting and working with treated lumber is similar to working with regular or cedar lumber except for a few key differences. There are also certain safety precautions that you should take and ways to fortify the cut areas after cutting.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• Face mask
• Treatment liquid
• Brush

Instructions

How to Cut Pressure Treated Lumber

1. Wear proper safety equipment. CCA lumber is treated with Copper Cromated Arsnate. That last word, Arsnate, means Arsenic, which is a poison. To protect yourself, make sure to use a mask and gloves whenever handling treated lumber, and wash your hands thoroughly after working with this wood. It is also a good idea to wash your work clothes separately from your other laundry to avoid possible cross-contamination of the chemicals used to the treat the wood.

2. Apply additional treatment to cut ends. For any exposed or cut end of the treated lumber, apply additional treatment liquid (available in a paint can at your local hardware store) with a brush to the cut or otherwise exposed lumber. This will make sure that the cut is not a weak point of entry for rot and decay.

3. Be strategic with the placement of the cuts on the lumber. One way to do this is to screw from the bottom of the lumber (where the lumber is not exposed to water). Also, cover up all nail and screw holes using wood putty or caulk.

References

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: CCA Guidelines