Treated Lumber

[Burro]

Will treated lumber react with the aluminum skin, steal, or anything else? I am thinking about using a piece of treated ply for the floor and putting foam board on top and then another piece of ply. Instead of sealing the whole bottom of the trailer I am just thinking about using treated lumber for the floor.

Any actual problems with this idea? Anyone try using treated lumber?

[wagondude]

The treating in treated lumber is more for insect prevention than rot prevention. You would still need to seal it to keep it from rotting out. You should also consider that you will be sleeping in a rather confined space with toxic substances used to treat that lumber. Wouldn't be my choice, but lets see what others think.

[dh]

Treated lumber will corode steel.

[canned o minimum]

All "I" need to hear is "chemically treated"..."I" wouldn't be NEAR that stuff !

[madjack]

...treated lumber can be hazardous to to your health(exposure to arsenic/chromium)...treated lumber is not waterproof...far from it, the treating is a bug/mold type of preventative...a single sheet of ply, with 3r4 coats of paint will work quite well...for my floor, I used a single layer of 1/2"ply with a couple coats of epoxy(cause I had it handy)...then a sheet of foam and then my mattress.....................
madjack

[Hillmann]

If I remember correctly about 7 or 8 years ago there was some new mix of chemicals that was used to make treated lumber that ate away aluminum. Painted coilstock that was used as drip edges on decks wouldn't last even a year before being completely eaten away. I have no idea it things have changed since then, but I would sure look into it before building anything that would require them to be in contact with each other.

[Mike-n-Britney]

...treated lumber can be hazardous to to your health(exposure to arsenic/chromium)

I don't know what the chemical cocktail is now, but arsenic is no longer used in treated lumber. Not to say that the current chemicals are safe for use in this instance... And it can corrode steel - not sure on aluminum.

[bobhenry]

CCA cromium copper arcenate is no longer available to the public. It is available to ag builders to be used only below grade as the lumber clears the ground it is spliced with untreated lumber to make a multi layered beam mostly for pole barn construction.

ACQ Alkaline copper quaternary is the new treated. We discontinued the use of it as it eats away any steel fastner with the exception of stainless.

We have been using borate treated lumber in our wall panel plant for all masonry contact areas.

The main concern is insect invasion.

As has been said it is not waterproof. Quite frankly insect invasion in my teardrop is very unlikely as they would have to jump 17".

A good fence post emulsion is the tried and true method and it seems to be quite prevalant for water invasion in the builds here on the forum.

I ,like you ,thought the acq treated plywood would hold up better on my 8 x 20 flat bed trailer. It has dryed on the sun side and curled like a pretzel.

Use a good plywood and simply coat the devil out of it you will be money ahead and end up with berrtr results in my opinion.