Preserve® is a family of soluble copper-based preservative solutions for exterior wood products that provides long-term protection from fungal decay and termite attack for a wide variety of residential, commercial and agricultural construction applications. In each Preserve solution, the soluble copper provides most of the protection to the wood, and the co-biocides complete the formulation by adding the protection against the copper-tolerant fungi. Soluble copper is very effective in penetrating the cells in the wood fiber during the pressure-treatment process, providing for optimum long-term protection.
Preserve ACQ – (Alkaline copper quaternary)
Alkaline copper quaternary (ACQ) is a wood preservative formulation made of soluble copper and a quaternary compound. Copper has been used for centuries to control fungi, and is highly effective against most forms of fungi that feed on wood.
Preserve CA – (Copper azole)
Copper azole (CA type C) is a wood preservative formulation made of soluble copper and uses organic triazoles (tebuconazole and propiconazole) as the co-biocide to control copper-tolerant fungi.
Preserve is Building Code Compliant
- Preserve ACQ and Preserve CA have been standardized by The American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) for ground-contact and above-ground applications.
- Each Preserve formulation is building code compliant (2012 IBC/IRC) under AWPA Use Categories U1, UC3B, UC4A, and UC4B and meets all applicable major model building code requirements. Click here for AWPA information on how to specify treated wood.
- In Canada, Preserve ACQ is building code compliant (CSA-O80) and meets all applicable major model building code requirements in Canada
- Download the Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide
Home Innovation NGBS Green Certified for Resource Efficiency
Preserve ACQ and Preserve CA are NAHB Home Innovation Research Labs Green Certified Products for Resource Efficiency and are eligible to contribute points towards a buildings certification under the National Green Building Standard™. See our product listings at www.GreenApprovedProducts.com for more information.
Download Preserve ACQ Green Certified Product certificate Here (PDF).
Download Preserve CA Green Certified Product certificate Here (PDF).
Preserve ACQ and Preserve CA are each backed by a Lifetime Limited Warranty against fungal decay and termite damage.
- Provides long-term protection against fungal decay and termite attack.
- For use in above-ground, ground contact, fresh-water immersion, and salt-water splash applications in residential, commercial and agricultural projects.
- AWPA Standardized, and adherence to AWPA treatment standards is verified by independent third-party product inspection. Preserve ACQ is CSA standardized in Canada.
- Available in a wide selection of timber species including difficult-to-treat Western species.
- Easily painted or stained, allowing consumers to enjoy the natural beauty of Real Wood in their outdoor living spaces.
- Preserve ACQ and Preserve CA use recycled copper, reducing the carbon footprint of its manufacture.
- Preserve is also available with built-in water repellent and marketed as Preserve Plus – contact us for more information.
Residential
• Decks, porches & fences
• Landscaping timbers & raised beds
• Arbors , lattice, trellises & gazebos
• Outdoor furniture, sheds & play sets
• Sill plates, furring strips, sleepers
• Shakes & shingles
• Permanent wood foundations
Commercial
• Walkways & bridges
• Boardwalks, piers & pilings
• Structural columns
• Exterior stairways
• Utility poles
• Building poles
• Guardrail posts & Sign posts
• Retaining walls
Agricultural
• Tomato & grapevine stakes
• Post frame structures
• Stables & corrals
• Fence posts
Preserve ACQ and Preserve CA
- Standardized by the American Wood Protection Association in Use categories U1, T1, UC1, UC2, UC3A, UC3B, UC4A, UC4B, UC4C
Preserve ACQ
- Standardized by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA-O80)
- Listed as a "Green Approved Product" by the NAHB Research Center and eligible to contribute points towards the National Green Building Standard™
Preserve ACQ and Preserve CA are Home Innovation NGBS Green Certified for Resource Efficiency and are eligible to earn points towards the National Green Building Standard™. See our product listing on www.GreenApprovedProducts.com for more information.
Download Preserve ACQ Green Certified Product certificate Here (PDF).
Download Preserve CA Green Certified Product certificate Here (PDF).
Preserve ACQ also won the 2002 US EPA Presidential Green Chemistry Award.
Each Preserve formulation has been standardized by the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) for numerous ground contact and non-ground contact applications and thus each can be used with complete confidence when used for the correct application. Ground contact applications that are actually buried or laid on the ground require higher levels of preservative retention because fungi in the ground can be more aggressive and of course termites have much easier access to wood products that are in the ground.
It is important to select and build with lumber that has been AWPA Standardized. AWPA Standardization simply means that the AWPA technical committees have reviewed year’s worth of field data and confirmed that the wood preservation formulation does indeed perform as promised. AWPA Standards are the only Standards listed directly in the major model building codes, so any product meeting AWPA Standards is code approved.
The AWPA is an ANSI-accredited standards-writing organization that requires a rigorous evaluation plus an open peer review of that data by the largest collection of experts in the field of wood protection in North America.
Recommended Retention Levels:
|
Application |
Preserve ACQ Retention (Lbs/Cu.Ft) |
Preserve CA Retention (Lbs/Cu.Ft) |
Typical Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Above Ground
|
0.20 US
0.25 Canada
|
0.06
|
Decking components, 5/4" decking, fence boards, trim & fascia, framing, flooring, sill plates, trellises, gazebos, plywood |
| Ground Contact Fresh Water |
0.40
|
0.15
|
Deck support posts, fence posts, landscaping, piers, docks plywood |
| Critical Structural Members1 |
0.60
|
0.31
|
Poles (building, transmission, and distribution), salt-water splash areas |
| Wood Foundation Systems |
0.60
|
0.31
|
Wood foundations, crawl spaces |
1 Pole approval for ACQ Type B
Nails, Fasteners and Connectors
For the best results, use of building-code approved, corrosion-resistant fasteners and connectors is always recommended.
Direct contact of Preserve treated wood with aluminum fasteners and fittings is not recommended.
- Do not burn pressure-treated wood.
- Wear a dust mask and goggles when cutting or handling treated or untreated wood and avoid frequent or prolonged inhalation of sawdust.
- Wear gloves when working with treated or untreated wood.
- After working with wood, wash exposed areas thoroughly.
- Wash work clothes separately from other household clothing before reuse.
- Pressure-treated wood should not be used where it may come into direct or indirect contact with drinking water, except for uses involving incidental contact such as fresh water docks and bridges.
- Do not use pressure-treated wood in circumstances where the preservative may become a component of food, animal feed, or beehives.
- Do not use treated wood under circumstances where the preservative may become a component of food or animal feed. Examples are mulch from recycled treated wood, cutting boards, counter tops, animal bedding, and structures or containers for storing animal feed or human food.
- Do not use pressure-treated wood for mulch.
- Treated wood scraps and cut offs should be disposed of in a non-hazardous material lined landfill in accordance with local, state and federal regulations.
Refer to the latest Preserve Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).
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