If you're building with timber, then you will need to buy some kind of treated wood. While wood is structurally strong and versatile, it is a natural material that can get damaged in some circumstances.
So, you need to buy timber that has been treated against any hazards it might encounter after your build. Which factors are important here?
Will You Use Your Timber Indoors?
The placement of your timber affects the type of treatment it needs. If you're using wood for internal structures, such as trusses, floors, cabinets or ceilings, then you don't need to worry so much about external environmental factors. The wood has some protection from its position inside the building. It usually only needs basic preservative treatments.
Will Your Timber Have Contact With the Ground?
If you will use your timber on external parts of the build, then you have to factor in potential damage from its local environment. It will need a more protective treatment.
If your timber won't have any contact with the ground, then you can probably get away with basic anti-rotting and termite treatments. Your timber won't usually be exposed to more serious hazards.
However, if some of your timber will go into the ground, then it needs more protection. The parts of the wood that sit underground are more likely to be affected by moisture, dampness and burrowing insects. This wood is more likely to rot.
Here, you would go for timber that has had a more intensive treatment program. This wood should be protected against termites in the same way as above-ground woods. However, your timber here also needs more protection against severe decay. This wood will get wet and damp, and you won't be able to easily see any damage until it starts to fail. So, it needs higher levels of protection.
Will Your Timber Sit in Water?
In some cases, the wood you use on projects will sit underwater. For example, this can happen when you build pilings, retaining walls, walkways and jetties. This timber is seen as a high risk. Parts of it will be permanently wet; it might attract marine boring insects.
You need a top-level treatment here. Your treatment should repel marine borers if this might be a problem. It should also protect the integrity of the wood in wet conditions so that it doesn't rot or degrade.
For more advice, talk to your supplier before you buy timber products. They can help you choose the right wood with the right treatment for your project.
For more information on timber products, contact a company like Poles Galore.