Construction grade (cca treated) or AC2?

[Geo-TH,In]

What grade of treated posts do they use to make boat docks?
CCA or AC2?
I realize some states have banned the sale of CCA,
FYI Menards sells CCA lumber.
Posts and 2x6
Home Depot in Leesburg FL sells CCA lumber too

 

[1948CaseVAI]

What grade of treated posts do they use to make boat docks?
CCA or AC2?
I realize some states have banned the sale of CCA,

If it has been banned it just means it is better. Buy elsewhere if you have to and haul it home.

 

[MarkB_MI]

George, a quick google search on 'salwater treated lumber' brought me to the link below. It seems that all lumber approved for saltwater immersion in water has to be CCA treated. Interestingly, rot isn't much of a problem in saltwater, but marine borers (teredos, aka shipworms) are.

Treated lumber classifications

 

[john in la]

The place I buy my CCA lumber from only stocks 2 types. #1 .80 CCA used for dock walking decks and #1 2.50 CCA for anything that goes under the water.

Disclaimer
Most docks around here will see brackish and salt water.
You can get away with .80 for under water and walking decks use as it will only see fresh water

 

[Ray,IN]

Interestingly, treated lumber (landscape timber) is not termite proof. I set a mailbox post about 10 years ago, when it began to wobble last June I replaced it. When I dug up the below ground part it was nearly eaten away by termites.

 

[jwal10]

I can still get the power pole treated 6"x6" and 6"x8". For my pond dock, I used recycled plastic decking, all 2"x6", laminated the posts. It is how I build my pole barns, 1-4', 1-6' 1-8' laminated, buried 3' deep, laminated untreated Douglas fir above that, 2"x6" plastic skirt board. 6" 3/4" crush under concrete and 3' all around, outside, sloped outward....James

 

[MarkB_MI]

Interestingly, treated lumber (landscape timber) is not termite proof. I set a mailbox post about 10 years ago, when it began to wobble last June I replaced it. When I dug up the below ground part it was nearly eaten away by termites.

Interestingly, treated lumber (landscape timber) is not termite proof.

Landscape timbers are poorly treated, even though they're normally used in contact with soil. You want a post whose label specifically says it's treated for ground contact.

 

[GChief]

Landscape timbers are poorly treated, even though they're normally used in contact with soil. You want a post whose label specifically says it's treated for ground contact.

That and 10yrs later

 

[john in la]

That and 10yrs later

And since landscape timbers are always 8 feet long there is a good chance he cut the timber to length to make this mailbox post and stuck the cut end into the ground.

Most people don’t realize treated wood is no longer considered rot and termite resistant if you cut it.

 

[Russ from MN]

Interestingly, treated lumber (landscape timber) is not termite proof. I set a mailbox post about 10 years ago, when it began to wobble last June I replaced it. When I dug up the below ground part it was nearly eaten away by termites.

That's interesting! Last winter I found signs of termites under our home in Arizona, mostly on some lumber that was stored on the ground. I removed the lumber and sprayed everything with Permethrin, that's what was recommended, we will see how well it works. There wasn't any sign of damage to the wood that was on top of concrete, I assume it's treated.

 

[jwal10]

Landscape timbers are poorly treated, even though they're normally used in contact with soil. You want a post whose label specifically says it's treated for ground contact.

Landscape timbers here were a Douglas Fir 3 1/2" peeler core from turning plywood veneer. 2 sides were slabbed off making 2 slabs that were sold for cheap fence pickets. They were dipped in a "redwood" colored stain with a little bug juice. Used for a post, may last 3 years before rotting off.

 

[bc]

DIY pest control

Other sources as well for stuff for termites. Can do your own treatment spraying if you want. Weld a 6' rod to an inch drill bit to drill along foundation to spray/pump in chemical treatment. Dig a shallow trench along the foundation to pour in chemical. I knew someone who still had a supply of chlordane which has been banned from use but it worked.

Pros use the bait system but takes a year or two to kill them. They put the bait stations in with balsa wood and check them once or twice a year. If they find one that is eaten then they replace it with the termite killer they carry back to the colony. Nothing you can't do yourself. They use the wired ones that their detector picks up whether they are eaten on so they don't have to bend over to check them. Charge 300 bux a year to do one or two 5 minute walk arounds.

Termites are active outside during the warm months when ground is not frozen so they go deep. Like ants they nest down in the ground but deeper and they have to move to and from the source of food/wood. Spray and the residual effect kills them in their trail whether going in either direction. The bait kills them in their nest.

Heard someone say termite treatment just drives them over to the neighbors and the neighbors treatment may help yours. Let them pay.

It does get expensive if you have farm buildings. If I had a metal building with wood posts then I'd just treat down to the depth of each post.

 

[john in la]

Landscape timbers here were a Douglas Fir 3 1/2" peeler core from turning plywood veneer. 2 sides were slabbed off making 2 slabs that were sold for cheap fence pickets. They were dipped in a "redwood" colored stain with a little bug juice. Used for a post, may last 3 years before rotting off.

Around here landscape timbers are mostly yellow pine cores from turning plywood. They are treated with MCA at a rate of.01 lb per foot.
To give you something to compare that to above ground fence pickets are treated at a rate of .04 lbs of MCA per foot.

 

[john in la]

DIY pest control

Other sources as well for stuff for termites. Can do your own treatment spraying if you want. Weld a 6' rod to an inch drill bit to drill along foundation to spray/pump in chemical treatment. Dig a shallow trench along the foundation to pour in chemical. I knew someone who still had a supply of chlordane which has been banned from use but it worked.

Pros use the bait system but takes a year or two to kill them. They put the bait stations in with balsa wood and check them once or twice a year. If they find one that is eaten then they replace it with the termite killer they carry back to the colony. Nothing you can't do yourself. They use the wired ones that their detector picks up whether they are eaten on so they don't have to bend over to check them. Charge 300 bux a year to do one or two 5 minute walk arounds.

Termites are active outside during the warm months when ground is not frozen so they go deep. Like ants they nest down in the ground but deeper and they have to move to and from the source of food/wood. Spray and the residual effect kills them in their trail whether going in either direction. The bait kills them in their nest.

Heard someone say termite treatment just drives them over to the neighbors and the neighbors treatment may help yours. Let them pay.

It does get expensive if you have farm buildings. If I had a metal building with wood posts then I'd just treat down to the depth of each post.

Termite bait stations; while they work; oh so slowly; they do more to pad the pockets of the pesticide company through monitoring than they do to kill termites.
In an area that has few termites they are good because they eventually kill the whole colony. In an area with termites everywhere killing a colony is useless because another colony just replaces it.
What bait stations are good for is spreading the cost over many years to the homeowners so many choose this avenue of attack.

But if you live in the southeast where termites are everywhere it’s best to use the trench barrier system with a chemical the termites can not detect on a slab house. It’s a one and done for many years job.

For a raised house your best line of attack is to use metal termite barriers especially made to fit cinder blocks and treated lumber for anything that touches the ground.

 

[jwal10]

Dad self treated poles from the woods. They were Douglas fir and he didn't peel the whole thing, just what went in the ground and a foot or so above. He injected Penta in a hole drilled just above the ground after it was set. Problem was he didn't peel the whole thing and bugs got under the bark + they were still green. They lasted 10 years or so, first to rot were near where the gutter filled water troughs ran over and where manure built up. Then where other lumber was nailed to the poles pulled loose. He used unpeeled poles for headers and unpeeled rafters, no treatment, everything got bugs in and got soft under the bark. The roof was reused cedar shingle sections from Camp Adair, cut into sections with a chain saw and re-shingled over the sawed off gaps with extra shingles removed from small sections. It developed leaks and everything went south quick after that. He also treated the bottoms of split cedar fence posts in a barrel with diesel and Penta. Just left them in the barrel until he needed them, then put a new batch in with more of the mixture until the barrel was full again....James