Common Treated Lumber Dimensions

Common treated lumber dimensions are available through most building supply retailers.

Additional sizes may be available or on special order.

Installation Tips, Safe Practices, Care and Maintenance

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Installation Tips
Fasteners and Connectors
- For the best results, use building-code approved, corrosion-resistant fasteners and connectors for all exterior wood projects.
- Hot-dipped galvanized steel is recommended and should conform to ASTM A153 for fasteners and ASTM A653, G185 for connectors.
- For coastal installations, use code approved stainless steel.
- Stainless steel offers the best protection. Type 304 or higher stainless steel is recommended for very wet environments such as poolside deck. Type 316 or higher is recommended for exposure to salt or saltwater.
- Caution: Do not mix metals: Use stainless-steel fasteners with stainless-steel connectors and galvanized fasteners with galvanized connectors.
- Ecolife can be used in direct contact with aluminum products, including flashing, even in continuously wet applications.
- Direct contact of Preserve®CA treated wood with aluminum products is not recommended.
- For permanent wood foundations and corrosive environments, such as areas with saltwater spray, stainless steel fasteners are recommended.
Installation Tips
- For exterior project applications, treat all field-cut ends of boards and drilled holes with a brush-on wood preservative. Copper naphthenate formulations are available from home centers, lumber dealers and hardware stores. Deck stains and sealers do not provide adequate protection.
- Place the best-looking side of a deck board face up.
- Butt boards tightly together during installation as they will shrink slightly in width and thickness as they dry out.
- Pre-drill holes at the ends of boards to help prevent splitting.
- Use screws to improve holding performance.
- Install fasteners flush to the wood surface. Do not overdrive fastener.
- Install the un-cut end of support posts in ground contact applications.
Safe Practices When Working with Pressure-Treated Wood
- Wear gloves when working with wood.
- Wear a dust mask when machining any wood to reduce the inhalation of wood dusts.
- Wear appropriate eye protection to reduce the potential for eye injury from wood particles and flying debris during machining.
- Wash hands thoroughly with mild soap and water after working with treated wood.
- All sawdust and debris should be cleaned up and disposed of after construction in accordance with local waste management regulations.
- Do not burn pressure-treated wood.
  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 pressure-treated wood for mulch.
- Treated wood may be disposed of in landfills or burned in commercial or industrial incinerators or boilers in accordance with federal, state and local regulations.
Care for Your Pressure-Treated Wood Project
- Your outdoor project or deck should last for years. Keep it looking its best with the right wood and deck cleaners, sealers and stains to enhance its long-term beauty.
- After installation, allow the wood to dry prior to applying any finish. Test the wood with a few drops of water to see if the wood is dry enough to readily absorb the water.
- Apply the finish to a small portion of the deck to ensure that the wood is sufficiently dry. As soon as the wood is porous enough to accept the stain, it is ready to stain.
- Apply a high-quality oil or water-based finish with UV protection and water repellent to slow down the process of wood turning gray from exposure to the sun. Always follow finish manufacturer’s application instructions.
- To provide long term aesthetic appeal for your deck or outdoor project, keep it free of dirt and debris, and apply a water repellent sealer every two years after initial staining and sealant are applied.
- Liquid detergents, water and a stiff bristle brush will remove most mildew and dirt.
- For hard to clean surfaces, use a deck brightener containing oxalic acid and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to retain the wood’s natural beauty.
- Never use household bleach or foaming cleaners as they can strip the preservatives and damage the wood fibers leaving an unnatural whitewashed appearance.
- Use care if a pressure-washer is used for cleaning, as excessive pressure may cause damage to the wood.
How to Remove the Grade Stamp on Wood

Testimonials

Dan Jones, Manager

84 Lumber, Rozzelles Ferry Road, Charlotte, NC

"Ecolife is our brand of choice for pressure treated wood for a couple of reasons. We have seen a great reduction in checking as well as an overall improvement in product appearance. This leads to cost reduction and customer satisfaction."

Bill Gay, National Sales Manager

W.C. Meredith Company

“As a treater, changing to DCOI was a seamless transition with the steam conditioning process plus the DCOI preservative has extremely good penetration all the way to the heart of the wood. UltraPole NXT with DCOI offers additional benefits of less toxicity for lineman, the public and the environment, plus linemen are very happy with the drill-ability and say it climbs beautifully.

Shannon Terrell, President and CEO

Brooks Manufacturing

"The advantage of DCOI for us as a wood crossarm treater, is the preservative penetrates better than penta. To our customers, they will not recognize a difference from penta in color or look of the wood, but they are getting a product with better treating results."

Eric Perez

Florida Lumber, Miami, FL

“Florida Lumber has carried Ecolife for over four years, and we keep our lumber stock outside. The Miami weather can be harsh on treated lumber, and we’ve seen a dramatic decrease in cracking and cupping in our inventory compared with other treatments. The other big benefit is Ecolife is fully compatible with fasteners and in our constantly humid and moist climate, that is a big advantage to builders. We’ve done very well with Ecolife, and we probably sell one to two truckloads per week and have lots of repeat customers that return to buy it again.”

Jeff Rorex, Homeowner

Georgia

“I used Ecolife to build a 24' x 36' deck around my above-ground swimming pool to make the pool easier for people to use. I chose Ecolife because of the consistent uniformity in the appearance of the deck boards and the warranty. I installed a composite deck about ten years ago, and have never really been happy with it, and wish I could have used Ecolife instead back then. The clarity and natural wood beauty of the Ecolife deck boards is impressive, and I have recommended Ecolife to friends and would continue to recommend it in the future.”

Joseph Miranda, Homeowner

Georgia

“Our home was built 30 years ago, with a ground-level entrance deck up to a landing and front door. After the original deck passed its useful life, we decided to rebuild the deck on its original footprint since it functioned not only as a distinctive entry-way but also as an extended outdoor living space integrated into the front-yard landscape.

We chose Ecolife, first because of its appearance. We wanted the look of authentic wood, in place of the synthetics, the promise of a long life as we had with our original wood deck, and the ease of construction that came with using stabilized, dimensioned wood, as well as the integrated eco-friendly wood preservative and weathering treatments. We also wanted to balance cost with quality, for both final appearance and quality of construction. We were also looking for a product that would weather naturally and hold up well under our challenging coastal climate of heat and humidity. Ecolife fit the bill and has been performing well.”

James Wolfe, Homeowner

Ohio

“We built a 16’x25’ deck using Ecolife. I am in the process of building benches and flower planter boxes for the perimeter in lieu of a railing. In my area, I had a few lumber yards to choose from and spent a lot of time talking with staff members about their products and of course pricing. The YouTube video describing the product side-by-side with the competitor sample was very helpful and informative, and the “green” benefits and affordable price were also huge in our decision process.

Working with the Ecolife product was very nice compared to other products I have used in the past. The decking also sat in the sun for a few hours and there was no board warping or twisting. The boards cut very easy and did not split while using self-drilling screws even when screw placement was near the edge. I will definitely be using Ecolife when I rebuild my pond dock later this summer!”

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