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They stopped allowing arsenic (Chromated Copper Arsenate) in pressure treated lumber in 2003 in the US. The replacement is not nearly as resistant to rot and pe

by dwater 4y ago

They stopped allowing arsenic (Chromated Copper Arsenate) in pressure treated lumber in 2003 in the US. The replacement is not nearly as resistant to rot and pests, and the quality of the lumber used has also decreased in the decades since. There are lots of bandaids in the construction industry like putting tape along the tops of the joists to reduce the amount of water that gets in, but it looks like the industry is probably going to move to metal framing and plastic-based products for construction designed to last 10 years or more. Plastic based decking (eg Trex) has already taken over everything except the low end.

WalterBright 4y ago
> rot and pests Most wood frame construction has very poor consideration of keeping it dry. I bought the book "Common Sense Pest Control" https://www.amazon.com/Common-Sense-Pest-Control-Least-Toxic-Solutions/dp/0942391632 https://www.amazon.com/Common-Sense-Pest-Control-Least-Toxic... and incorporated many of its solutions into the house I had built. It has paid off handsomely, the house has needed very little maintenance, there's no rot, and I haven't had much trouble with pests. The increased construction cost was very, very little. For example, destructive insects like to get in cracks in the concrete foundation, and move upwards into the wooden sill plate, then up into the walls of the house. The usual construction technique is to put a piece of plastic between the sill and the foundation, if they put anything at all. I had a sheet of stainless steel put there instead. (Also, concrete absorbs water like a sponge. Concrete in contact with wood will rot the wood over time.)
kerpotgh 4y ago
[dead]
hd95489 4y ago
In think the reason you can’t use metal is because building code is significantly more lenient for wood structures. As soon as you bring metal into the mix you get stuck with more complicated engineering and permits
- dwater 4y ago
  It's coming. There's plenty of engineering experience framing with metal, Light Gauge Steel (LGS) framing has been around for decades. This is just adding a new use case. https://fortressbp.com/framing https://fortressbp.com/framing
  - hd95489 4y ago
    Yeah I get that steel is a better material in many cases but building code is going to be slow to catch up, or wood simply has a grandfather clause that makes things simpler
njarboe 4y ago
Too bad I don't like the feel of plastic on by bear feet or the look of it. Heart redwood is still available but pretty pricey.
- hamburglar 4y ago
  Trex also has the unfortunate long term habit of sagging as if it’s getting softer, which looks terrible and causes water to collect on the cupped surfaces.
  - x86_64Ubuntu 4y ago
    And those composites also get hot as HELL in the summer sun.
- horsawlarway 4y ago
  Cumaru/Ipe is also an option, although also expensive and finding a sustainable source is challenging.

by dwater 4y ago

WalterBright 4y ago

> rot and pests Most wood frame construction has very poor consideration of keeping it dry. I bought the book "Common Sense Pest Control" https://www.amazon.com/Common-Sense-Pest-Control-Least-Toxic-Solutions/dp/0942391632 https://www.amazon.com/Common-Sense-Pest-Control-Least-Toxic... and incorporated many of its solutions into the house I had built. It has paid off handsomely, the house has needed very little maintenance, there's no rot, and I haven't had much trouble with pests. The increased construction cost was very, very little. For example, destructive insects like to get in cracks in the concrete foundation, and move upwards into the wooden sill plate, then up into the walls of the house. The usual construction technique is to put a piece of plastic between the sill and the foundation, if they put anything at all. I had a sheet of stainless steel put there instead. (Also, concrete absorbs water like a sponge. Concrete in contact with wood will rot the wood over time.)

kerpotgh 4y ago

[dead]

hd95489 4y ago

In think the reason you can’t use metal is because building code is significantly more lenient for wood structures. As soon as you bring metal into the mix you get stuck with more complicated engineering and permits

dwater 4y ago
It's coming. There's plenty of engineering experience framing with metal, Light Gauge Steel (LGS) framing has been around for decades. This is just adding a new use case. https://fortressbp.com/framing https://fortressbp.com/framing
- hd95489 4y ago
  Yeah I get that steel is a better material in many cases but building code is going to be slow to catch up, or wood simply has a grandfather clause that makes things simpler

njarboe 4y ago

Too bad I don't like the feel of plastic on by bear feet or the look of it. Heart redwood is still available but pretty pricey.

hamburglar 4y ago
Trex also has the unfortunate long term habit of sagging as if it’s getting softer, which looks terrible and causes water to collect on the cupped surfaces.
- x86_64Ubuntu 4y ago
  And those composites also get hot as HELL in the summer sun.
horsawlarway 4y ago
Cumaru/Ipe is also an option, although also expensive and finding a sustainable source is challenging.