Can you identify this wood?

[SuburbanDad]

I have a stack of lumber from the previous owner of my house and I'm not sure exactly what it is...

Some of it has a "wolmanized" tag, which I know means pressure treated... any way to tell if it's the old CCA (meaning contains arsenic from pre-2004ish) or not?

Then some of it looks like it could be different... no markings or tags...


Photo 1 - End of the wolmanized pressure treated board




Photo 2 - end of different looking boards (maybe not PT?)



Photo 3 - same board as in Photo 2, no identifying tag and looks different than the wolmanized tagged stuff in Photo 1.

 

[Axel207]

Looks kinda like cedar, or possibly pine… something the previous owner had stashed away for porch repairs maybe?

 

[SuburbanDad]

I thought cedar. Believe it was used as deck boards.

Would cedar also be CCA pressure treated?

I want to get rid of it as it's just taking up space, but don't want to pass along old PT stuff to someone who isn't aware of the potential hazards.

 

[The Cobbler]

almost certainly won't be cedar . it's probably jack pine or some other fast growth pine/ spruce . and it is probably the old stuff with all the nasty chemicals .

 

[SuburbanDad]

almost certainly won't be cedar . it's probably jack pine or some other fast growth pine/ spruce . and it is probably the old stuff with all the nasty chemicals .

That's what I'm thinking about it being the arsenic stuff. How should I dispose? Give away with a disclaimer?

 

[olytdi]

Check with your city or county landfill/disposal folks. Our county landfill has a "hazohouse" for disposal of hazardous wastes like old PT wood.

 

[4xdog]

Do the non-pressure treated boards feel “light” and cut sorta reddish inside? If so, quite likely cedar.

 

[drmarkr]

Photos 2 and 3 very likely cedar. Cut it and smell... should be easy to tell. The other board looks like pine or fir.

 

[Jeff C]

Cedar and treated SYP boards. I agree with cutting an inch off and smelling. Cedar won’t be treated. If the treated boards are old CCA they should last a really long time compared to the new stuff.

 

[PCustoms]

Put it at the end of the driveway with a free sign on it.

Stop worrying about liability of what the next user may do with it.

 

[Crabman]

PM sent to OP

 

[bluedog225]

Good of you to be conscientious. Whether its cedar, cca treated, or acq, it’s fine. Use it. Don’t burn it, eat it, or cut inside your house.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Cedar is usually very light, so you can easily tell the difference from something like pine by simply picking up one of the boards. It appears that whatever it is, it has very straight grain - that means it should be pretty stable and resistant to warping. It may be of interest to a woodworker.

 

[Shoptime]

On the Wolmanized product, the Consumer Information Sheet mentioned on the end tag was only used with CCA treated material. Once alternative treatments reached the market, the CIS was no longer needed or applicable. There is a vast amount of CCA material still in service. I'm sure there are exceptions but generally, as it reaches the end of its usable life, it is disposed the same as any other construction lumber and not classified as hazmat. Or you can give it away and not lose a bit of sleep over it. The board with the barcoded tag appears to be some type of pine or possibly spruce, and the untagged ones are almost certainly western red cedar. Hope this helps.

 

[SuburbanDad]

Thanks all. After further inspection, I think I only have three 8' PT boards. They're heavier, harder, and less flexible. Bit smoother finish too, but more knots.

The rest is almost certainly cedar. It is very lightweight, has a reddish hue, and unless my mind is playing tricks on me, it smells like cedar.

 

[firebirdparts]

The safest thing for it is to use it for something. Just don’t let the calves lick it.

 

[RonnieC]

Probably leftovers from a deck build.
Cedar’s not cheap so lucky you!

 

[RaisedByWolves]

Put it at the end of the driveway with a free sign on it.

Stop worrying about liability of what the next user may do with it.

No disrespect meant, but a lot of worry over nothing.

I worked at a plant that made the old type. My hands and feet were orange from the stuff and 40 yrs later I’m mostly not dead.

The problems come from sawing and breathing in the dust over decades of building decks and such.

I still have nightmares of standing on a ladder between swaying stacks of lumber with an air stapler and a roll of those tags…..

P-thunk P-thunk P-thunk
P-thunk P-thunk P-thunk P-thunk