Hi,
I am just about to have a new patio built on the back of my house which will involve removing a small decking area. The decking area was built sometime before I moved into the house 3 and a half years ago.
The decking wood looks like it could make several movable raised planters for me to grow vegetables in on the new patio (I don't want to put the veg in the earth as I have no idea what it has been treated with in the past). This has the potential of saving me 70 quid per planter, as well as reusing materials rather than throwing them out in a builders skip.
I have been reading up on pressure treated wood and it's dangers and obviously don't want to grow veg that could poison us.
And so, finally to my question:
Is there a way to find out if the decking wood was treated with CCA without sending it to a lab, and if there isn't does anyone know of a lab that doesn't cost a fortune to test such a thing?

Many thanks for any advice on this.

Bean

Doh, doh, doh, doh!

I have just checked back to see if anyone has left any replies to discover that I have incorrectly worded the subject on the post. I fell at the first word. The subject should read:
"Is it safe to use old decking to make veg planters?"

Sorry!

Bean wrote in news:Bean.7fd6d16
@gardenbanter.co.uk:


Hi,
I am just about to have a new patio built on the back of my house which
will involve removing a small decking area. The decking area was built
sometime before I moved into the house 3 and a half years ago.
The decking wood looks like it could make several movable raised
planters for me to grow vegetables in on the new patio (I don't want to
put the veg in the earth as I have no idea what it has been treated with
in the past). This has the potential of saving me 70 quid per planter,
as well as reusing materials rather than throwing them out in a builders
skip.
I have been reading up on pressure treated wood and it's dangers and
obviously don't want to grow veg that could poison us.
And so, finally to my question:
Is there a way to find out if the decking wood was treated with CCA
without sending it to a lab, and if there isn't does anyone know of a
lab that doesn't cost a fortune to test such a thing?

Many thanks for any advice on this.

Bean





Bit of a puzzler this.
If you got a splinter say in your finger, or a child fell on it and got a
splinter from it surely that would be worse than using it as a planter?
As a carpenter and joiner I have probably had lots and lots of splinters
that I never knew I had from this type of timber, as all types of timber,
its part of the job as your hands get harder and you only notice them when
they fester.

Chromated Copper Arsenate can lead to arsenic poisoning and I know of no
test you can do, so if you are worried GET RID or you could make something
else from it which will not be in contact with food or food chain.

You will never be at ease not knowing. If it were me I would not use it as
you suggest, just to be on the safe side.

Baz

On 21/03/2011 16:32, Bean wrote:
Hi,
I am just about to have a new patio built on the back of my house which
will involve removing a small decking area. The decking area was built
sometime before I moved into the house 3 and a half years ago.
The decking wood looks like it could make several movable raised
planters for me to grow vegetables in on the new patio (I don't want to
put the veg in the earth as I have no idea what it has been treated with
in the past). This has the potential of saving me 70 quid per planter,
as well as reusing materials rather than throwing them out in a builders
skip.
I have been reading up on pressure treated wood and it's dangers and
obviously don't want to grow veg that could poison us.
And so, finally to my question:
Is there a way to find out if the decking wood was treated with CCA
without sending it to a lab, and if there isn't does anyone know of a
lab that doesn't cost a fortune to test such a thing?

Many thanks for any advice on this.

Bean




Line the sides with plastic sheet

Malcolm

In message , Bean
writes

Hi,
I am just about to have a new patio built on the back of my house which
will involve removing a small decking area. The decking area was built
sometime before I moved into the house 3 and a half years ago.
The decking wood looks like it could make several movable raised
planters for me to grow vegetables in on the new patio (I don't want to
put the veg in the earth as I have no idea what it has been treated with
in the past). This has the potential of saving me 70 quid per planter,
as well as reusing materials rather than throwing them out in a builders
skip.
I have been reading up on pressure treated wood and it's dangers and
obviously don't want to grow veg that could poison us.

Gut feeling here is that the likelihood of growing poisonous veg seems
small.

Is there any evidence (as opposed to www-supposing/scaremongering) that

1. There is migration of the pressure treatment chemicals into the soil
at levels that might be an issue?

2. Growing veg take it up in quantities that matter?

And so, finally to my question:
Is there a way to find out if the decking wood was treated with CCA
without sending it to a lab, and if there isn't does anyone know of a
lab that doesn't cost a fortune to test such a thing?


If you are bothered about it, line the planters with heavy duty
polythene sheeting would seem to be a sensible route forward.
--
Chris French

Malcolm wrote in news:4j3ip.197054$ud6.47209
@newsfe19.ams2:

Line the sides with plastic sheet

Malcolm


Not suitable really, not worth risking as the copper and arsenic can and
does leach through. It really is dangerous. Please at least humour me on
this and don't sublimilarly poison yourselves, at least till Chromated
Copper Arsenate can be certified safe in all circumstances.

Baz

chris French wrote in
:

In message , Bean
writes

Hi,
I am just about to have a new patio built on the back of my house which
will involve removing a small decking area. The decking area was built
sometime before I moved into the house 3 and a half years ago.
The decking wood looks like it could make several movable raised
planters for me to grow vegetables in on the new patio (I don't want to
put the veg in the earth as I have no idea what it has been treated with
in the past). This has the potential of saving me 70 quid per planter,
as well as reusing materials rather than throwing them out in a builders
skip.
I have been reading up on pressure treated wood and it's dangers and
obviously don't want to grow veg that could poison us.

Gut feeling here is that the likelihood of growing poisonous veg seems
small.

Is there any evidence (as opposed to www-supposing/scaremongering) that

1. There is migration of the pressure treatment chemicals into the soil
at levels that might be an issue?

2. Growing veg take it up in quantities that matter?

And so, finally to my question:
Is there a way to find out if the decking wood was treated with CCA
without sending it to a lab, and if there isn't does anyone know of a
lab that doesn't cost a fortune to test such a thing?


If you are bothered about it, line the planters with heavy duty
polythene sheeting would seem to be a sensible route forward.

That might be your belief, but might not be true.
As always, be safe, not sorry.
A few quid saved is always good but not where safety is concerned.
I am always gobsmacked when people put money in front of safety, and often
childrens safety. Would you REALLY put your familly at risk? No matter how
small the risk is?

Baz

In message , Baz
writes
chris French wrote in
k:

In message , Bean
writes

Hi,
I am just about to have a new patio built on the back of my house which
will involve removing a small decking area. The decking area was built
sometime before I moved into the house 3 and a half years ago.
The decking wood looks like it could make several movable raised
planters for me to grow vegetables in on the new patio (I don't want to
put the veg in the earth as I have no idea what it has been treated with
in the past). This has the potential of saving me 70 quid per planter,
as well as reusing materials rather than throwing them out in a builders
skip.
I have been reading up on pressure treated wood and it's dangers and
obviously don't want to grow veg that could poison us.

Gut feeling here is that the likelihood of growing poisonous veg seems
small.

Is there any evidence (as opposed to www-supposing/scaremongering) that

1. There is migration of the pressure treatment chemicals into the soil
at levels that might be an issue?

2. Growing veg take it up in quantities that matter?

And so, finally to my question:
Is there a way to find out if the decking wood was treated with CCA
without sending it to a lab, and if there isn't does anyone know of a
lab that doesn't cost a fortune to test such a thing?


If you are bothered about it, line the planters with heavy duty
polythene sheeting would seem to be a sensible route forward.

That might be your belief, but might not be true.

True, it might not.

As always, be safe, not sorry.

There is no such thing as absolute safety.

A few quid saved is always good but not where safety is concerned.
I am always gobsmacked when people put money in front of safety, and often
childrens safety.

Oh! think of the children !!

Would you REALLY put your familly at risk?

Yup, do it everyday.

No matter how
small the risk is?



Yes, my family is a risk every day, nothing is absolutely safe. Everyone
makes such judgements (generally quite badly) about the risks of their
activities. We make judgements about how to spend our money, risk might
be part of that.


The car we most use as a family is over 10 years old, so a new car might
be marginally safer for the passengers, should I be buying a new car
because of that small increased risk?

We have a pond in our garden, it is uncovered, our children are 6 and 10
and old enough to understand about the dangers, but there is some small
risk that one could fall, bash their head on the surrounding wall (which
they like to stand on), knock them selves unconscious, fall into the
pond and drown. Should we spend the money to fill in the pond and remove
the wall?

Should we spend the money to cut down the trees in the garden, in case
they climb them and fall out and break their necks.


--
Chris French

In message , Baz
writes
Malcolm wrote in news:4j3ip.197054$ud6.47209
:

Line the sides with plastic sheet

Malcolm


Not suitable really, not worth risking as the copper and arsenic can and
does leach through. It really is dangerous.

Whilst there are certainly concerns about health risks associated with
CCA treated timber. Hence the restrictions on it's use introduced a
while back, to claim that reusing these boards 'really is dangerous'
(which to me implies a significantly increased level of risk) doesn't
seem to be born out by any evidence I've read.


Please at least humour me on
this and don't sublimilarly poison yourselves, at least till Chromated
Copper Arsenate can be certified safe in all circumstances.

Nothing can be certified safe in all circumstances, better give up
living
--
Chris French

chris French wrote in
:

In message , Baz
writes
chris French wrote in
. uk:

In message , Bean
writes

Hi,
I am just about to have a new patio built on the back of my house
which will involve removing a small decking area. The decking area
was built sometime before I moved into the house 3 and a half years
ago. The decking wood looks like it could make several movable
raised planters for me to grow vegetables in on the new patio (I
don't want to put the veg in the earth as I have no idea what it has
been treated with in the past). This has the potential of saving me
70 quid per planter, as well as reusing materials rather than
throwing them out in a builders skip.
I have been reading up on pressure treated wood and it's dangers and
obviously don't want to grow veg that could poison us.

Gut feeling here is that the likelihood of growing poisonous veg
seems small.

Is there any evidence (as opposed to www-supposing/scaremongering)
that

1. There is migration of the pressure treatment chemicals into the
soil at levels that might be an issue?

2. Growing veg take it up in quantities that matter?

And so, finally to my question:
Is there a way to find out if the decking wood was treated with CCA
without sending it to a lab, and if there isn't does anyone know of
a lab that doesn't cost a fortune to test such a thing?


If you are bothered about it, line the planters with heavy duty
polythene sheeting would seem to be a sensible route forward.

That might be your belief, but might not be true.

True, it might not.

As always, be safe, not sorry.

There is no such thing as absolute safety.

A few quid saved is always good but not where safety is concerned.
I am always gobsmacked when people put money in front of safety, and
often childrens safety.

Oh! think of the children !!

Would you REALLY put your familly at risk?

Yup, do it everyday.

No matter how
small the risk is?



Yes, my family is a risk every day, nothing is absolutely safe.
Everyone makes such judgements (generally quite badly) about the risks
of their activities. We make judgements about how to spend our money,
risk might be part of that.


The car we most use as a family is over 10 years old, so a new car
might be marginally safer for the passengers, should I be buying a new
car because of that small increased risk?

We have a pond in our garden, it is uncovered, our children are 6 and
10 and old enough to understand about the dangers, but there is some
small risk that one could fall, bash their head on the surrounding
wall (which they like to stand on), knock them selves unconscious,
fall into the pond and drown. Should we spend the money to fill in the
pond and remove the wall?

Should we spend the money to cut down the trees in the garden, in case
they climb them and fall out and break their necks.



OK.
Baz

Thank you all for your comments.

Baz, I think you are probably right, there will always be that doubt if I use the timber for planters, I'll probably buy or make my own from known timber.

Bean wrote in news:Bean.800b8d7
@gardenbanter.co.uk:


Thank you all for your comments.

Baz, I think you are probably right, there will always be that doubt if
I use the timber for planters, I'll probably buy or make my own from
known timber.



I think you have come to the right decision.

Baz

On Tue, 22 Mar 2011 22:22:26 +0000, chris French
wrote:

In message , Baz
writes
chris French wrote in
. uk:

In message , Bean
writes

Hi,
I am just about to have a new patio built on the back of my house which
will involve removing a small decking area. The decking area was built
sometime before I moved into the house 3 and a half years ago.
The decking wood looks like it could make several movable raised
planters for me to grow vegetables in on the new patio (I don't want to
put the veg in the earth as I have no idea what it has been treated with
in the past). This has the potential of saving me 70 quid per planter,
as well as reusing materials rather than throwing them out in a builders
skip.
I have been reading up on pressure treated wood and it's dangers and
obviously don't want to grow veg that could poison us.

Gut feeling here is that the likelihood of growing poisonous veg seems
small.

Is there any evidence (as opposed to www-supposing/scaremongering) that

1. There is migration of the pressure treatment chemicals into the soil
at levels that might be an issue?

2. Growing veg take it up in quantities that matter?

And so, finally to my question:
Is there a way to find out if the decking wood was treated with CCA
without sending it to a lab, and if there isn't does anyone know of a
lab that doesn't cost a fortune to test such a thing?


If you are bothered about it, line the planters with heavy duty
polythene sheeting would seem to be a sensible route forward.

That might be your belief, but might not be true.

True, it might not.

As always, be safe, not sorry.

There is no such thing as absolute safety.

A few quid saved is always good but not where safety is concerned.
I am always gobsmacked when people put money in front of safety, and often
childrens safety.

Oh! think of the children !!

Would you REALLY put your familly at risk?

Yup, do it everyday.

No matter how
small the risk is?



Yes, my family is a risk every day, nothing is absolutely safe. Everyone
makes such judgements (generally quite badly) about the risks of their
activities. We make judgements about how to spend our money, risk might
be part of that.


The car we most use as a family is over 10 years old, so a new car might
be marginally safer for the passengers, should I be buying a new car
because of that small increased risk?

We have a pond in our garden, it is uncovered, our children are 6 and 10
and old enough to understand about the dangers, but there is some small
risk that one could fall, bash their head on the surrounding wall (which
they like to stand on), knock them selves unconscious, fall into the
pond and drown. Should we spend the money to fill in the pond and remove
the wall?

Should we spend the money to cut down the trees in the garden, in case
they climb them and fall out and break their necks.

I wonder why some people are driven to destroy a perfectly good case
by wild exaggeration. Let's just tell the bloke to line his timber
with old plastic sacks or something, and leave it at that. May be
necessary, may not be: but the precaution is cheap and easy.

--
Mike.