Streaming TV shows and movies directly to your home is a breeze with Netflix. As a Netflix member, you can instantly watch TV and movies on your PC, Mac, mobile device, or television. Get a free thirty day trial membership. Go to Netflix dot com slash stuff and sign up today. Welcome to Brainstuff from how Stuff works dot com where smart happens. Hi, I'm Marshall Brain with today's question, how does pressure traded lumber work? Wood is a great building material.
It's strong, lightweight, easily worked with tools, and relatively inexpensive. The only problem with wood is that many varieties of bacteria, fungi, and insects find it appetizing. When wood is in contact with the ground or moisture for any period of time, these organisms attack the wood. Untreated wood, like pine, will only last a year or two if it's touching hot ground. Pressure treated lumber is wood that's been immersed in a liquid preservative and placed in a pressure chamber. The chamber
forces the chemical into the wood fibers. The pressurized approach makes sure that the chemical makes it to the core of each piece of wood. It's much more effective than simply soaking the wood in the chemical. The most common chemical used to treat lumber used to be chromated copper arsenate or c C A. In two thousand three, however, the Environmental Protection Agency restricted the use of c c A in residential settings due to health and environmental concerns
about the arsenic leaching out of the wood. The most widely used alternative to c c A is alkalin copper quat or a CQ. Copper is toxic to most insects and fungi that might cause de k. A c Q binds the wood fibers very well, and it allows the wood to last decades even when it's in contact with the ground. The protection provided by the chemical depends on the amount of chemical that the wood absorbs. In the United States, the amount of chemical is measured in pounds
of chemical per cubic foot of wood. For ground contact, point four pounds per cubic foot is needed. For above ground, point two pounds per cubic foot is the standard. The chemicals and treated wood are generally not very good for humans either. I mean, if it's gonna kill bugs, it's probably not good for us. This is why you see warnings advising you to wear gloves, avoid breathing the sawdust
and refrain from burning treated wood. Keeping small children away from treated wood is also a great idea for moral This and thousands of other topics. Because at how staff works dot com, jack threads is the online shopping destination for dudes. Everything on the side is up to off, all styles are curated, so buyer's remorse just doesn't happen. What's more is, if you were brain stuff, you can skip the membership waitlist and get instant access at jack threads dot com slash stuff