ACQ wood treatment

Qweaver · April 21, 2006, 12:19:11 PM

How does the ACQ wood treatment compare with the CCA treatment? I'm getting ready to put posts down and will have to use ACQ... I guess. CCA is still available for saltwater use but not residential.

Quinton

Tom · April 21, 2006, 12:31:46 PM

I've not heard much about how good it is for the purpose it was intended. But...... You do have to use special fasteners because it is so caustic that it eats up the normal ones.

DanG · April 22, 2006, 11:07:05 AM

Yep, be very careful in selecting fasteners. Hot dipped galvanized nails are the "standard", but stainless steel is better. I'm a little afraid of the galvanized stuff because it is a sacrificial protection. What happens when the zinc is all eaten away? My building inspector buddy told me about a guy that built a fence using freshly treated (wet) ACQ wood and brite common nails. The fence literally fell apart a week later!

I don't really know, but I'd think it would help if the wood was thoroughly air dried after treating. That might not help in an outdoor situation, though.

Fla._Deadheader · April 22, 2006, 02:03:57 PM

Won't answer yer question, but, I have seen that green color laying on the ground, under a stack of ACQ treated wood, right after a good rain. I was "told" that it washes off the surface in a rain ??? Any truth to this ???

Qweaver · April 23, 2006, 09:54:21 PM

Well, here is a case in point. I'm adding an extention to my saw shed and had to pull common sinkers from ACQ that had been in the wood for 9 months. The amount of rust that was on the nails was no more than what I would consider normal and there was actually less corrosion/rust on the nails that were in the ACQ than in some of the poplar that was nailed up wet. The ACQ treated wood was fairly dry and this may have been the difference. I will only use HD galvanized nails from now on tho'.
The EPA info on this is a good read and clearly points out where CCA treated wood can still be used.

Quinton

DWM II · April 29, 2007, 05:28:42 PM

I dug this up to ask if anyone knows where I can get some pine treated in the La. Ms. area. I have been cutting some 6x6 and 4x4 for some live stock fencing. Is there a place where I can buy ACQ and treat it myself? Is ACQ applied under pressure or is it absorbed? If anybody has experience with this stuff as far as how to handle it safely and such that would be good info too.

Don P · April 29, 2007, 07:04:59 PM

It is a pressure treatment done at the same facilities that did cca. One thing to do whenever dealing with any unknown stuff is to google up the MSDS.

This is a link to an EPA page on ACQ
http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/reregistration/cca/acq.htm

One thing to look at is the different formulations described on that page.The Simpson website talks about this some, ammonia is apparently a big factor in corrosion and a variable in the different blends.

DWM II · April 29, 2007, 08:41:44 PM

Thanks Don P, I'll give it a look.

pineywoods · April 29, 2007, 09:55:26 PM

DWM it might be a bit too far for you, but there is a pressure treat plant in Jackson, Ms. I had some 6X12 bridge timbers treated there recently. They charge by the board foot. they put the lumber in a pressure vessel and keep it under pressure for several days. wood must be dry under 20%. I can get details if needed

PineNut · April 29, 2007, 10:03:08 PM

Pineywoods, I am not far from Jackson and would appreciate info on this company.

pineywoods · April 29, 2007, 10:24:37 PM

Pinenut, try www.follen.com or 601-948-1746. I think they use cca not acq. We had a bunch of 6X12 bridge timbers done. they will unload your vehicle and reload when done. Place is in south Jackson, just off hwy 80

DWM II · April 30, 2007, 06:49:51 AM

Thanks piney, I'll be requesting a quote. It will be good to know approx. how much per bdft it cost to treat so I can relay to customers as well.

Dave Shepard · April 30, 2007, 08:24:18 PM

Moisture is the key with ACQ. When it is combined with water it supposedly forms H2SO4, which is battery acid.

Dave

wwsjr · April 30, 2007, 09:43:43 PM

Donnie,

There is a place in Macon, MS (north of Meridian) that does cresote treatment. They treated the 1X6X16 and 6X6X8 pine I sawed from Katrina damage for the horse rancher at Columbus. I think he had to have air dried below 28% to use the cresote. If you want me to find number, POC, etc, let me know by PM.

Willie