Steady sales of arsenic-free treated timber are being reported among southern pine treaters in the US following the recent ban on production of residential sector products using chromated copper arsenate (CCA).
Industry newsletter Random Lengths reports a fairly smooth transition at the consumer end since the January 1 ban, due to most major treaters converting to alternative treatments such as copper azole and ACQ in the fourth quarter.
Some smaller and medium-sized companies were still using CCA until the end of 2003. Several did not manage to complete all their orders in time.
A barrier to growing sales of alternative products has been timber traders’ large stocks of CCA-treated wood. But with buoyant sales in December and so far in January, these inventories are expected to disappear.
The phase-out of CCA in residential products has led to confusion among builders and architects. Some are unsure if treated wood is still available and question when they can use CCA-treated timber or lumber impregnated with other preservatives.
