Pressure treated wood can be dangerous

Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA)

See What You Need to Know About Wood Pressure Treated with Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) on the EPA's web site. There is another informative page on the EPA's web site. If you've got lots of time to read there are over 6000 results on the EPA web site search for pressure treated wood

A very informative page at the EPA gives information about other pressure treating chemicals and alternatives to use.

Some don'ts for the replaced deck or other pressure treated material

Don't burn the pressure treated wood, especially DO NOT SAW THE PRESSURE TREATED WOOD INTO FIREPLACE SIZE PIECES AND DO NOT BURN IN YOUR FIREPLACE OR FIREPIT. Don't build a good big bonfire or you'll contaminate the whole neighborhood.

Haul the leftover deck to the nearest landfill. If you need to saw the pieces to get them to haulable size do it outside with the least amount of skin exposed, a good quality dust mask and eye protection. Follow the links on this page for more information about disposing of the old pressure treated wood structure material.

Don't recycle the wood in any manner. Don't use the old wood for a picnic table. The UV rays from the sun will cause the old CCA treated wood to sluff off arsenic, which isn't a good thing to have with your picnic.

Don't use the old CCA treated wood in any manner in a garden as there can be leaching of toxic chemicals into the soil which can get into your vegetables. Arsenic laced carrots definitely won't make you healthier.

Most newer pressure treated wood is safer than the older stuff

If you plan to build your new deck with new pressure treated wood ask your supplier what the wood is treated with and ask for information about the substance used in the pressure treating. If the supplier can't answer your questions don't buy from them, go somewhere else that can answer your questions.

Even working with safer pressure treated wood you should use eye, lung and skin protection.

Building a deck, wood Fence or other outside wood structure

I've always been a wood purist, but I guess I'm living proof that you can teach an old dog new tricks. There are several alternatives to building a new deck or other, normally built of wood, structure.

Composite woods seem to be structrally sound and the vinyl and other plastics can be made to look like wood and are just about maintenance free.

Then there are the good old sandby woods like cedar, redwood and cypress that are naturally resistant to bugs and other bad nasty stuff.

Some additional reading

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