FAQ'S of preservative treatment for LVL

Terms and notes

APVMA - Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority

TPAA - Timber Preservers' Association of Australia

TPAA represents the nation's wood preservation industry. It is made up of timber treaters, preservative suppliers, research organisations, and individuals and bodies having an interest in the production and use of preservative-treated timber.

AS/NZS 1604 is a series of five standards specifying the preservative treatment of timber and timber products. Part 1 applies in Australia only and parts 2 to 5 apply in Australia and New Zealand.

Timber in Australia is treated to six levels called Hazard (H) Classes. These treatment levels indicate where the treated product may be used.

** Applies in New Zealand only

## Applies to one preservative system used in Australia

For the purpose of user friendliness, the following colour page coding is used to differentiate between the five hazard classes:

1. Orange --- Hazard class selection guide.

2. Yellow --- Hazard class H1.

3. Blue ---Hazard class H2.

4. Pink --- Hazard class H3.

5. Green --- Hazard class H4.

6. Cream --- Hazard class H5

(This requirement is according to standard AS/NZS 1604 4:2004. It is canceled in the update version AS/NZS 1604 4:2012. But many designer and engineer still follow this rule.)

Q1 HOW CAN I TELL IF THE WOOD HAS BEEN PROPERLY TREATED TO AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS?

A. Firstly, you should only purchase treated timber products that are labelled. The only way to tell if wood meets the specifications in the Australian or any other standard is by chemical indicators for the presence of treatment chemicals and chemical analysis. These tests should be performed by trained operators and registered laboratories. You should also look for the brand.

Q2  DOES THE RICHNESS/ CONSISTENCY OF COLOUR OF SOME OUTDOOR TREATED PRODUCTS REPRESENT THE EFFICACY OF THE TREATMENT?

A. No. The richness, intensity or consistency of colour is affected by many factors not related to treatment, e.g. position in a treatment stack, sunlight, temperature.

Q3  IS TREATED TIMBER WEATHER PROOF?

A. Strictly speaking no timber is weather-proof and the colour will grey and the timber may “check” or crack over time as it gives off and absorbs moisture. All timber absorbs and gives off water depending on local conditions. In Australia, preservative treated wood means wood that is protected against insects, and/or termites and/or decay or rot and/or marine borers. You need to apply a surface coat to protect wood against weathering.

Q4  ARE THE CHEMICALS AND PROCESS USED TO TREAT TIMBERS SAFE?

A. All timber preservatives are registered by the APVMA, which considers the effectiveness of the preservative and its safety in the anticipated uses. A registration is only granted when the preservative satisfies these two criteria.

Q5  WHEN HANDLING “BLUE” FRAMING TIMBER I GET BLUE COLOUR ON MY HANDS. WILL THIS MAKE ME SICK?

A. It is best to minimise contact with any treated timber product. However, if you do get blue colour on your hands this should be washed off before eating or contacting other parts of the body such as eyes, etc. In general, very little treatment chemicals will come off on your hands. The blue colour is a dye or pigment used to show that the timber has been treated. The blue dye/pigment is not dangerous.

Q6  IS TIMBER TREATED TO A HIGHER LEVEL IF THE BLUE DYE IS A DARKER COLOUR THAN OTHER PRODUCERS?

A. No. The blue dye is an indicator only and has nothing to do with how well the timber has been treated.

HC FlexFrame LVL is F17 grade product according to AS/NZS 4357. And LVL is a glueline treatment which meets the H2S Specification requirements of AS1604.

You can vist TPAA website www.tpaa.com.au to find our plant name. Our preservative treatment no. is 616 59 H2S G