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This advice should have a very large disclaimer. A majority of old finish lumber in the U.S. has been painted with lead based paint. Unfortunately the safest t
by evanlivingston 6y ago
This advice should have a very large disclaimer.
A majority of old finish lumber in the U.S. has been painted with lead based paint. Unfortunately the safest thing to do with this lumber is throw it away.
Also in many homes floorboards have been covered with asbestos containing adhesives when newer floors were laid on top.
- cosmodisk 6y agoWhile we on this: I noticed lots of interior design projects, where old pallets are used( Euro Pallet being the most popular). They are all treated with chemicals to withstand harsh environments and definetly shouldn't be used indoors.
- driverdan 6y agoThis isn't true. Most pallets are heat treated now and can be distinguished by "HT" on the side. You should still be careful about selecting and working with pallet wood. They can be subject to hazardous spills and can have random debris embedded in them that will damage blades.
- tvb12 6y agoI think this site was on HN a few days/weeks ago: https://www.1001pallets.com/pallet-safety/ https://www.1001pallets.com/pallet-safety/ I checked a few of the pallets where I work; they're heat treated, no chemical treatment. But! While I'd feel safe using the pallets used to ship corrugate bundles, the pallets used to ship the sketchy drums of mystery chemicals look identical and end up in the same trailers headed off to some pallet recycler. I keep forgetting to check the CHEP pallets.
- evanlivingston 6y agoAlso, dust from certain species of wood can be quite bad for you. If I didn't know the origin and history of a piece of wood, I'd likely avoid working with it.
- danans 6y agoGood point. My house's original wood is from 1998, so no risk of lead paint. Even in old houses, a lot of framing lumber was never painted though, so it should be safe to use.