Pressure Treated Deck

[Steve S]

I had a contractor build the flooring for an outside deck to my house but wanted to wait to do the rails until my wife and I decided on the type. The contractor is now too busy to complete the job so I had three companies come by to give me an estimate. The first two did it. The third one refused saying that because the original contracter didn't use pressure treated wood for the frame, that it doesn't meet code. He said that I need to contact that contractor to redo it. Is this true? I mentioned using pressure treated wood to the contractor when he started but he said that it was only needed for the posts that went to the ground.

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by Steve S

I had a contractor build the flooring for an outside deck to my house but wanted to wait to do the rails until my wife and I decided on the type. The contractor is now too busy to complete the job so I had three companies come by to give me an estimate. The first two did it. The third one refused saying that because the original contracter didn't use pressure treated wood for the frame, that it doesn't meet code. He said that I need to contact that contractor to redo it. Is this true? I mentioned using pressure treated wood to the contractor when he started but he said that it was only needed for the posts that went to the ground.

Depends on the code where you live. Around here it has to be pressure treated or cedar. Call your local building inspection office to find out for sure. Where do you live?

lowsound

[Steve S]

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

Depends on the code where you live. Around here it has to be pressure treated or cedar. Call your local building inspection office to find out for sure. Where do you live?

lowsound

I live in Seattle.

[L-A]

From the Seattle code:

Treated wood or wood of natural resistance to decay is required for wood in contact with concrete, or wood close to earth.

So you don't need it for the whole structure, but wood in contact with the house and the ground should probably be cedar or pressure-treated to comply.

[Steve S]

Originally Posted by L-A

From the Seattle code:



So you don't need it for the whole structure, but wood in contact with the house and the ground should probably be cedar or pressure-treated to comply.

Thank you very much!

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by L-A

From the Seattle code:



So you don't need it for the whole structure, but wood in contact with the house and the ground should probably be cedar or pressure-treated to comply.

That depends on how close to the ground the wood frameing is, if it is less than 12 inches I would double check with a building inspector. Code is usually a little hard to read and you don't know the definition of "close" listed there.

lowsound

[Blueszilla]

I agree with L-A, that code is common throughout the west, same here in NM.

A friend and I built a deck at a lakehouse we share and used pressure treated for anything that touched the ground. Supposed to resist rotting, water and bugs.

Also Montana Wildhack says that it's "Tralfamadorian", which sounds like an alien mode.

[Steve S]

Thanks again guys. I'll chedk with our building inspectors.