Space Age Ceramic Solutions for a Better Environment

Since the 1940's, lumber producers and manufacturers have used a chemical compound mixture containing inorganic arsenic, copper, and chromium called chromated copper arsenate (CCA) as a wood preservative.

Manufacturers inject CCA into wood by a process that uses high pressure to saturate wood products with the chemicals, creating what the public knows as "pressure-treated lumber." Over 90 percent of all outdoor wooden structures in the United States are made with this arsenic-treated lumber.

Arsenic sticks to children's hands when they play on treated wood, and is absorbed through the skin and ingested when they put their hands in their mouths. Children who rub their hands on a tiny surface area of new or old playground equipment have a one-in-10 chance of coming into contact with 10 times as much arsenic as the EPA drinking water standard allows.

A new study warns that arsenic used to treat outdoor wood products doesn't dissipate with time and that children who play on decade-old equipment are as likely to be exposed to high levels of the potential cancer-causing agent as are those who play on structures manufactured recently.

It has been estimated that one out of every 500 children who regularly play on swing sets and decks made from arsenic treated wood, or one child in an average size elementary school, will develop lung or bladder cancer later in life as a result of these exposures.

What to do?

Encapsulation... or the application of a liquid coating that dries to form a watertight jacket over the treated lumber, it is easy, cost effective, and homeowner friendly. It is applied like paint, and can be done by the homeowner. Encapsulation also provides long-lasting effects such as a beautiful, paintable, and tintable finish that protects the wood and preserves architectural details.

Basically encapsulation is wrapping the existing lumber in a continuous rubber like membrane like ENCAPSULGUARD. Hy-Tech's ENCAPSULGUARD coating look much like regular paint but goes on 5 times thicker than paint and does not dry hard and brittle but more like a soft rubber coating that expands and contracts with the lumber movement

Apply one coat of #1220 Bond-It. This water base epoxy sealer penetrates deep into the wood and seals in any harmful chemicals preventing any leaching to the surface. Apply two coats of ENCAPSULGUARD elastomeric coating at a spread rate not to exceed 100 sq feet per gallon. The purpose here is to wrap the lumber in a thick elastic membrane, "encapsulating" the toxins. Once cured the ENCAPSULGUARD dries to a tough film that has tremendous adhesion, superb durability and its flexibility allows it to withstand the constant expansion and contraction of the wood. ENCAPSULGUARD is very low in VOC's containing only enough chemical to help the coating cure. ENCAPSULGUARD is easily applied by brush, roller or spray.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) November 13, 2003: Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) is a wood preservative that has been registered to protect wood from dry rot, fungi, molds, termites, and other pests that can threaten the integrity of wood products. It is injected into wood by a process that uses high pressure to saturate wood products with the pesticide. CCA-treated wood is most commonly used in outdoor settings. Around the home, CCA-treated wood has been used for decks, walkway's, fences, gazebos, boat docks, and playground equipment. Other common uses of CCA-treated wood include utility poles, building construction poles, posts and support timber, marine construction, and piles and plywood for highways.