i bought a house that has pressure treated 2by 6 joistes in the
basement, before i bought it the basement was not dug out so the
joistes were sitting on the earth , since i bought it i dug out the
basement and now have a full basement , my question is the exposed
pressure treated wood hamefull and how should i replace if neccessary
, thanks in advance

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Request for Question Clarification by tar_heel_v-ga on 31 Dec 2002 16:23 PST

rathlee..

There is much material on pressure treated wood.  Would an explanation
and various viewpoints suffice as an answer?

-THV

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Clarification of Question by rathlee-ga on 31 Dec 2002 16:27 PST

i guess for $2 what ever info you can provide is ok, thanks

rathlee..

Thank you for your question.  The issue of pressure treated wood being
harmful has come to light in recent years with several lawsuits
against manufacturers.  Basically, pressure treating wood is done by
using chromated copper arsenate (CCA) to protect the wood against
insects and deterioration.  The issue arises because the copper and
the arsenic in CCA leaches, or comes to the sirface, out of the wood. 
Where you see the issue is when the arsenic leaches into the soil from
fences around garden areas and people ingest it in in vegetables that
are grown in the soil or get it on their hands from touching the wood.

All of this being said, you do not have to rip out the pressure
treated wood and replace it if you would rather not.  You can seal the
wood by using an oil based sealant or painting.  This should be done
about every two years, depending primarily on children coming in
contact with the wood.  The promary focus on CCA treated wood is
outdoors as that is typically where it is used in fences, picnic
tables, decks, etc.  In your case, again depending on if there are
children involved, simply painting or sealing the wood in some form
should protect you and your family from the danger.

Thanks again for your question and I hope the above information has
been helpful.  Please bear in mind that answers and comments provided
on Google Answers are general information, and are not intended to
substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric,
psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other
professional advice.  If you need any additional clarification, please
let me know.

Regards,

-THV

Search Strategy:
dangers of pressure treated wood

References:
Environment and Human Health, Inc
What is pressure treated wood?
http://www.ehhi.org/wood/info.html

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Request for Answer Clarification by rathlee-ga on 31 Dec 2002 16:58 PST

there are no children in the home i was worried in the event i sold
the home would it pass inspection?

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Clarification of Answer by tar_heel_v-ga on 31 Dec 2002 17:13 PST

rathlee..

Currently, pressure treated wood is not considered a hazardous
material and if you seal it per the recommendations I provided, there
should be no trouble at all.  I would recommend that you call a
licensed home inspector in your area and ask them how the treated wood
would affect a home inspection.

Regards,

-THV