How to tell if scrap wood is untreated...

[tooticky]

I'm hoping to make some veggie boxes out of scrap wood found on craigslist.

I want to use untreated wood, but don't know how to tell if wood has been chemically treated or not.

I was thinking of breaking up old pallets.

Any info would be great!

TIA

[Bird Girl]

The pressure-treated wood that my carpenter bought to use in kneewall construction had a pattern on all of the surfaces from the injection of chemicals into the wood. Also, it was pretty green in color--it's hard to mistake for untreated wood.

[TinyFrog]

our pressure treated wood has a red tint to it. Even when it has been in the sun for long amounts of time it will still have more of a red tint to it than untreated which will turn grey. Also out pressure treated has either a series of holes or lines (sort of the size of a staple).

Try cutting a couple inches off the end of a piece. The chemicals don't always go completely through so you may see a visible difference.

Good luck!

[hipneck]

Originally Posted by tooticky

scrap wood..chemically treated...old pallets

Treated lumber is usually identifiable by a green tint and/or lots of little perforations that were made to help the chemicals penetrate.

Shipping pallets usually aren't treated, though they may have been exposed to who-knows-what in the course of their lifetime, so a good cleaning is in order at the very least.

These pallets account for an ENORMOUS amount of trees; estimates a few years ago ran to 40% of U.S. hardwoods(!), though they're starting to be re-used and recycled (some companies are even producing hardwood floor boards from them).

I've just about completed a goat house based on pallets, and the next project will be a motorcycle shelter...they're great for building with!

Here's a goat house framed out with pallets:
http://www.dingoroo.com/?p=515

[tooticky]

Thanks for all the tips.

Neat looking goat house, hipneck!

I think I will also build a small fence out of pallets, to keep dd from falling into our patio from the yard...

So.... off to learn about fence building!