PT Lumber Scam?

[ed_h]

Around here, pressure treated lumber has historically been Southern Yellow Pine. SYP is one of the stronger construction species, with fiber stress rating ranging from maybe 1200 up to 1800 or more, depending on the grade. I've used these numbers for designing decks for years.

On a recent deck project, I was at Home Depot on a Sunday to buy some PT lumber, when I noticed the stamp on the boards said the species was Red Pine. Looking up Red Pine, I find the fiber stress rating is under

1000. Dismayed, I called my normal supplier (a real lumber yard), and asked them what species their PT lumber was.

"Well, Southern Yellow Pine, of course", was the answer.

I wonder how many people are underbuilding their decks because some retailers are substituting weaker wood for their PT lumber when many assume they are getting SYP?

[RayV]

Thanks for the heads up. I thought all PTL was SYP.

[cm]

Standard op for HD is to make their suppliers lower prices each year if that supplier would like to continue doing business with HD. Many times that supplier or manufacturer must lower quality to meet that demand. At the same time HD has taken the top 10% selling items in each category within their stores and had those items copied and imported themselves taking another hit at the supplier. They have done this with Klein, Wallboard, Stanley, Dewalt, Hunter, and many other suppliers.

I was involved with several manufacturers that supplied HD and Lowe's. They would buy a 4 way light switch from us for $1.75 and retail it for $12.99 or a wooden paint extension handle for .69 and retail it for $6.99 or how about a wood handle drywall knife for $1.99 and a retail of $8.99. Pretty nice markup for HD yet they keep beating on the suppliers for lower prices while raising them at the retail end.

rant, rant, rant

cm

[BB]

Depends where you are - in the Pac NW it is Doug Fir. . .

[no(SPAM)vasys]

Around my parts it's stamped "SPF",(Spruce, Pine or Fir).

[Joe Bleau]

The problem is the predatory nature of Home Depot. "CM" , in his post, exposed only a smidgen of the really nasty things they do. They have utter contempt for the customers, stocking only what moves off their shelves at the greatest profit and having no consideration whatsoever for the needs of their customers. That is why you will find gloves in "one size fits all." They have put all the small hardware stores out of business by lowering their prices in the initial phase of their plan. Now that the small hdw. stores are a thing of the past they are free to gouge their customers at will.

They have a gaggle of lawyers to oppose those who are injured in thier stores (I'm fortunately not one of them and write this as neither a former hdw. store owner or one who has been injured at HD). A number of people of been killed by stock falling off their high shelves. What to they do about it? They have decided it is cheaper to hire lawyers than to do anything to provide for customer safety.

They abuse their customers, their suppliers, their suppliers, their communities.

They (Lowe's, too) represent the absolute worst of corporate malice in the United States.

My two cents.

Joe

[Chris Friesen]

I'd have to say that the honour of "worst corporate malice" really should go to Walmart, not HD.

Chris

[cm]

Yup....I would say Walmart makes HD and Lowes look like rookies. Lowes always treated vendors and reps better than HD.

cm

[gfretwell]

My experience is HD never really sold PT lumber anyway. It was usually at such a low concentration (.25 CCA or less) that it was just green washed, not pressure treated. I assume that same low absorbsion rate continuerd with ACQ. I wouldn't build a trash can screen with that crap. I am not shocked that it is also sub par under the superficial "treating". Go to a real lumber yard

[BB]

Well since we are talking "scum level" does it really matter which is the lowest of the low? :)

BB