Question: Is Pressure Treated Wood Safe For Playset?

Children should not be exposed to preserved or pressure-treated wood or its dust during construction. Adults should use special precautions in handling pressure-treated wood when constructing the playground or play structures.

Is pressure treated lumber safe for playset?

In fact, pressure treated wood is one of the most resilient woods you can find for your wooden playsets. They stand up against exposure, they repel insect decay, and this wood will even prevent fungal growths from forming and destroying the structure. Pressure treated wooden swing sets can last up to 20 years!

Is pressure treated lumber toxic?

The chemicals in pressure-treated lumber are pesticides, so you should handle the wood with the same precautions as befit any potentially hazardous material. Never, ever, burn CCA-treated wood. Burning sends some of the arsenic up in smoke, which can be inhaled. The ash, too, contains high concentrations of arsenic.

What type of wood should I use for a swing set?

Cedar and redwood are the most commonly selected wood for outdoor swing sets, and for good reason. These woods are known for being naturally resistant to disease, rot, and insect infestation. You will also find swing sets made of spruce, pine, or fir.

Is today’s pressure treated wood safe?

Is Pressure-Treated Wood Safe? Yes, pressure-treated wood is safe for use in everything from raised garden beds to children’s playhouses. Before 2003, pressure-treated lumber was often treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a preservative containing some amount of poisonous arsenic.

Can pressure treated wood make you sick?

The major health concern is that daily, long-term contact with arsenic leached from CCA-treated wood might lead to an increased risk of lung, bladder, skin, and other cancers or other health effects.

How long do chemicals stay in pressure treated wood?

More than 90 percent of all outdoor wooden structures in the United States are made with arsenic-treated lumber. Using wipe tests from 263 decks, playsets, picnic tables and sandboxes in 45 states, researchers found that arsenic levels on wood surfaces remain high for 20 years — the entire useful life of the wood.

Does pressure treated wood still contain arsenic?

For many years, the only real choice of pressure-treated lumber was wood treated with Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA). As the name would seem to indicate, it did contain arsenic, which leached into the soil and could contaminate the plants in your garden.

Should I use treated lumber for swing set?

Pressure-treated lumber is an excellent choice for any outdoor playset, regardless of how concerned you are about safety. Just be sure to use highly corrosion-resistant fasteners. The new copper preserving compounds are very corrosive – more corrosive than the arsenic of years ago.

Is it cheaper to build your own swing set?

You want to save money When you break it down in cost, most DIY swing set kit builds are going to be cheaper than their store-bought counterparts.

Is a 4×4 strong enough for a swing set?

Yes, a 4×4 that is 20′ long will work. A 4×4 that is 12′ long will support about 4,000 lbs. each (depending on the species and grade). A 16′ 4×4 will support about half that and a 20′ 4×4 will support almost 1,000 each, if its horizontally braced about half way up.

Why can’t you use pressure treated wood inside?

Due to the types of chemicals in pressure treated wood, it is highly flammable. Depending upon the use indoors, that factor could present a danger. If there was a small fire that started indoor, it could easily erupt into an out of control blaze when fire reaches any pressure treated wood inside the home.

Does pressure treated wood leach chemicals into soil?

A: The safety of pressure treated lumber for raised bed gardens has been examined by several researchers. From what I’ve seen, the consensus is that the chemicals do leach out of the wood into the soil and are uptaken by the plants in very small amounts.

Can you get arsenic poisoning from treated wood?

Chromated Copper Arsenate and Arsenic Poisoning In addition, people who work with treated wood, such as construction workers and carpenters, can be exposed to high levels of CCA. Exposure to chromated copper arsenate can lead to arsenic poisoning and, in cases of extremely high exposure, death.