Wood preservation facilities, general recommendations: chapter A-1

1. Production and Use

This section presents and describes the general properties of wood preservatives and the general process of application. The information on major products treated in Canada and the use of the product should be presented in the order to help identify the life cycle of the treated product.

Basic information on preservative usage is summarized in Table 1.

This information is provided by the pesticide manufacturer and can be found on the pesticide label attached to the containers. (1) This information is also available from the Health Canada’s website.

The applied treatment parameters for all processes are limited by the directions for use on the registered pesticide labels. The CAN/CSA O80 (2) also has retention and process standards to ensure effective treatments for specific uses without damage to the wood. The pesticide label is the legal document and should be consider as such in the event of discrepancy between the standards.

The CAN/CSAO80 series of Standards identifies which preservative systems and retentions have been found to be effective in protecting wood products under particular service conditions. It provides the most comprehensive set of wood preservation requirements for Canadian conditions and is recommended for use by producers of all types of preservative-treated wood. Treatment to this CSA standard is both voluntary (industry) and mandatory (code requirements) and ensures that wood is suitable for use in exterior construction. The CSA O80 Series of Standards specifies requirements related to the preservation and fire retardance of wood through chemical treatment (pressure and thermal impregnation). The subjects covered include materials and their analysis, pressure and thermal impregnation procedures, and fabrication and installation to put treated wood into service (2).