Pressure Treatment

The Environmental Benefits of using Pre-treated Timber

Timber - The Renewable Resource

Timber is one of the world’s few renewable resources and is still the most widely used building product. Trees convert carbon dioxide and water into cellulose wood fibres which in turn forms the timber structure we are all familiar with. Carbon dioxide is one of the gases which contribute to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Sawn timber requires little energy to produce compared to alternative materials. It takes 435 kilowatt hours of energy to produce one tonne compared to 73,080 kilowatt hours to produce one tonne of aluminium. Timber is energy efficient and has particularly good insulating properties compared to other materials.

Timber has excellent tensile strength to weight ratio because of the fibrous nature
of wood and is readily workable. Timber is very attractive in appearance and has
a warm and natural texture.

Pretreatment of Timber

It must be accepted that wood is perishable and that certain species of timber are less durable than others. This susceptibility of certain species to fungal decay and insect attack can be overcome simply by preservative pre-treatment.

Timber preservation enables timber that is harvested to be used as a constructional product in an efficient way by prolonging the useful service life of the timber.

Technical Advantages of using Pre-treated Timber

Component service life is extended significantly, especially in high hazard situations.  The associated additional cost of pre-treating timber is minimal in comparison both to the benefits gained from increased service life and to the likely savings to be gained from the cost of remedial treatment necessary in the event of failure
of untreated timber.

Pre-treatment extends the possibility of using low durability timbers (e.g. home
grown softwoods) in high hazard situations. In such situations pre-treated timber
is often more cost effective than materials like concrete and more
environmentally friendly than PVC.

The Environmental Benefits

Pre-treatment extends the service life of timber, so minimising the need to fell and replace. It is estimated that in the United States pre-treatment saves 12% of total
timber harvest while in the UK pre-treatment saves 1.7 million trees each year.

Pre-treatment allows the use of lower cost, less durable plantation-grown softwood
and temperate hardwood so reducing the pressure on more naturally durable,
scarcer and higher value tropical hardwoods.

Pre-treatment allows the use of timber containing a high percentage of sapwood
which is extremely perishable in an untreated state and which would otherwise be discarded or have a short service life. This makes the most of the timber resource
and contributes to waste minimisation.

By extending its service life, pre-treatment acts to lock carbon dioxide into timber
so making a positive contribution to the control of the greenhouse effect.

Preservative Application

Pre-treated timber is produced in industrial treatment plants under controlled and contained conditions. The products and process are supervised by the industry and are subject to control and regulation under Environmental and Safety legislation.
Plant is operated by trained and competent personnel who are routinely kept up to date with regard to specifications, current legislation and their responsibilities in relation to the local environment.

Pre-treated timber is an environmentally positive building product. Its distinct features allow timber to be used to its full potential. You can specify pre-treated timber with confidence.