You've probably seen this product before on HGTV, that bright smurf blue lumber that seems to be gaining popularity in the residential renovation world. I’ve run into a number of times on home inspections and even recently used it at my Father’s house for his second floor addition; but I wanted to know a little more about this fine product and to find out what exactly is used in making it.
 |
| Side by side. |
Basically blue wood is your regular standard construction lumber and plywood(wall studs and sheathing) that has been specially treated to be moisture resistant, mould resistant, as well as being termite resistant. All three are pretty great things we think, especially when it comes to building houses. The wood goes through a two part process that uses a first part ‘infusion film’ that allows the wood to become water repellent and also breathable as it creates a semi-permeable membrane with the wood fibres. The second step happens by treating the wood with a proven fungicide and insecticide DOT wood preservative. This is also known as Disodium Octaborate Tetrahydrate, which is widely used in the building industry. This treatment is also non corrosive to metal and apparently can be exposed to harsh job site conditions for up to six months without losing it’s benefits.
You may want to consider using this product on your next home renovation project; we highly recommend it for basement framing and bathroom framing, particularly around showers or where anything has a high chance of getting wet.
House CSI
 |
| End cut sealant....Mike Holmes approved of course! |
No comments:
Post a Comment