Preservative Treatments for Wood Buyer's Guide
Q. What kind of treated timber should I buy and what's the difference?
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The Buyers Guide to Preservative Treated Wood
Preservative treatment provides wood with added durability. However, it’s a mistake to assume that all pressure treated wood is the same. Whilst one piece of treated wood may look very much like any other, the level of preservative protection could be very different
Preservative Treatments for Wood FAQs and Guidance Notes
Q. How do UK preservative treatment requirements (of BS 8417) relate to the Nordic NTR Scheme?
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WPA TW 1: Guidance for Wood Treaters in the NTR Region
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Timber treaters in the NTR region do not normally treat spruce for external, uncoated applications. However, this is permitted by BS 8417, the relevant UK standard. This fact sheet provides guidance to NTR treaters on how the treatment of spruce to meet a BS 8417 Use Class 3 specification aligns with current NTR classes and specifications.
Q. How can wood treaters assure effective quality timber treatments?
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WPA TW 2: Guidance on Achieving Quality Treated Wood
In 2017 TTF & WPA collaborated on a survey to identify the strategic priorities needed in order to grow demand for preservative treated timber. Analysis of the responses identified three priority areas for action. This note concentrates on the last point: To ensure independent verification of the treatment process.
Q. If and when we leave the EU will this affect the treatment or supply of treated timber?
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WPA TW 3: Brexit and the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR)
Every industry sector has its’ own particular concerns about the implications of Brexit and in particular, a ‘no deal’ outcome. The preservative treated wood supply chain is no exception
Q. What impact does treated timber have on our indoor air quality?
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WPA TW 4: Preservative Pre-treated wood and Indoor Air Quality
The indoor air environment is a complex subject that needs to consider the nature and source of any chemical, its ability to pass into the indoor air, its effect on humans when in the air, and the ability to remove it from the air by ventilation.
Q. How do you prevent mould growth on treated wood products?
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WPA TW 5: Preventing Mould Growth on Treated Wood Products
Mould fungi can grow in the water layer on wet and damp timber surfaces. The growth is often fluffy and may be white, green, black or coloured, depending on the species and presence of spores.
Q. What are the current rules about creosote treated timber?
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WPA TW 6: Use of Creosote and Creosote-treated Wood
There are specific permitted uses for creosote in the UK under the Biocidal Products Regulation - read all the details in this publication.
Q. I'm a timber service treater, how do I get WPA Benchmark Approved Treater accreditation?
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WPA TW 7: Benchmark Scheme for Preservative Treated Wood - Executive Summary
The WPA offer two compliance routes to Benchmark accreditation. This note summarises assessment criteria and itemises costs - including discounts for Timber Trade Federation (TTF) members.
Treated Wood, a Sustainable Choice - Executive Summary WEI / EWPM
Summary of a report by the trade bodies representing and working in the European pressure treated wood industry examining the sustainability of treated timber and the balance of social, economic and environmental aspects.
Q. What do I do with unwanted treated wood / How do I dispose of treated wood waste safely?
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Guidance Note 02/09: Dealing with Treated Wood Related Waste Streams
For those involved in the business of industrial wood preservation, this publication is intended to provide information about current waste minimisation options and regulatory responsibilities as a basis for decision-making.
Trackwork who are WPA Members, run a dedicated treated wood disposal service. Energy from their waste plant is audited, monitored and licensed by the Environment Agency and burns hazardous waste wood to generate electricity. This goes on to power their Doncaster site and exports surplus energy to the National Grid.
Quality Guidance Note 2 (QGN2): For use with BS EN ISO 9001:2015
Relating to the controlled preservation of wood and wood-based materials to improve their durability.
This document can be used as part of a Quality Management System audited by a Certification Body and as part of a quality plan audited under the WPA Benchmark scheme. QGN2 forms the basis of the National Highways Sector Scheme 4 for the preservative treatment of fencing and is referred to directly in Highways England quality scheme documents. QGN2 is an operating document of the WPA. It is a ‘controlled document’ in Sector Scheme 4 and is an essential part of the verification audits required by the scheme and carried out by UKAS accredited Certification Bodies.
Preservative Treatments for Wood Codes of Practice
WPA Code of Practice: Timber Treatment Plants
Safe Design, Installation and Operation
This publication was produced in collaboration with UK Regulatory bodies and is designed to guide those responsible for the design, installation or operation of timber treatment plants.
Online Training
Free On-Line Courses from Wood Campus
Dip into these free CPD courses, many RIBA accredited, for information about a specific topic, or complete the full course. You don’t need to pre-register for access. On successful completion of a course and assessment, you will be asked for your email so Wood Campus can send you a CPD certificate.
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