ANSWERS: 1
  • <h4 class="dechead">On One Hand: It Is Best Not To

    Due to the chemical nature of pressure-treated wood, it is best not to wash treated wood with a pressure washer. This is due to the fact the pressure washer will force some of the chemicals used in the pressure-treating process to leach out of the wood and into the ground.

    On the Other: Only If the Wood Is New

    Do not pressure wash old, pressure-treated wood. If the wood was pressure-treated before 2004, then it may contain arsenic compounds, a poisonous chemical that will leach out under a high-pressure spray.

    Bottom Line

    Arsenic, a known carcinogen, was sometimes an ingredient in the pressure-treatment process that was used to manufacture treated wood. Arsenic in treated wood was banned in January 2004, so unless you are 100 percent certain that your deck contains would manufactured after 2004, it is best not to use the pressure washer on the treated wood.

    Source:

    Thurston County, Washington: Pressure Treated Wood

    More Information:

    Decks: Deck Pressure Washing

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