Pressure treated lumber question

I'm doing some partition walls in my basement. Walk out basement, great drainage everywhere, so I've had no water problems, even a bit of moisture, in the 5 years since we built the house. Sump pump never even goes off - and is always dry. So I figured I've given problems enough time to show up, and now I'm going to build my woodworking shop in the basement.

Books I've picked up recommend pressure treated lumber for the sole plate. So I got my lumber for the framing, and also picked up the pressure treated 2x4's.

I've never dealt with pressure treated lumber before, so I don't know if this is how it's supposed to be, or if it's wet. It's a darker color, almost gray on some of them, and it feels kind of damp. I had planned on starting this project tomorrow, but if the damp feeling wood isn't normal, then I'll have to get my dehumidifier fired up in my basement and let it dry out.

It's not wet, dripping or anything, but feels as if it had been in the rain some point this past week.

So is this normal for pressure treated 2x4's? Will that moisture transfer itself to the normal untreated 2x4's when they're nailed to it?

Thanks for any info. Obviously a beginner here, first time putting up partition walls.

John

Reply to
john
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Any PT lumber made this year had to meet new rules on Arsenic content. That resulted in high copper content which can cause corrosion problems:

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IOW, don't use ordinary nails on your project...

Jim

Reply to
Speedy Jim

Thanks both of you for the quick replies. I had seen the link for the info on the new chemicals already when I was searching this group for posts before asking my question, and glad I did so. :)

Guess I'll have to be patient then. I had planned on starting tomorrow... sigh... Maybe I'll call around and see if I can find a place that has this stuff dry - I can always keep what I just bought as spare sticks for a future project.

John

Reply to
john

anytime i ever bought pressure treated wood it was always wet.. i got a wood swing in a box from Lowes about 2 yrs. ago.. opened the box this spring and put it together.. it was still wet(moist) i was gonna paint the wood(it was pressure treated wood), but will wait for it to dry... we used some pressure treated 2 by 4's for stringers on a 6 ft. fence and it stayed wet for about 6 months... i would just go ahead and use the wood.. it might never dry as if its wet the ingredients of arsenic or someother chemical is working....

Reply to
jim

We have never waited for PT lumber to dry first. Go ahead and use it now. It will dry out after it is installed. Fasten it to the slab with compression anchors or shots and pins so that it cannot bow as it dries. I usually cut everything tight to allow for a little shrinkage.

30 years using PT lumber and still going.
Reply to
Robert Allison

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