Do I Need Treated Posts for Porch Roofs?

Pressure Treating Wood

• Wood is pressure treated by placing it in a high pressure environment where wood preservatives can be forced into the wood.This makes the wood highly resistant to insect infestation or water rot.

Fasteners for Treated Wood

• Pressure treated wood used to be treated with a solution that contained arsenic. Due to the toxic nature of this product it is no longer used and the current treatment uses copper. The high levels of copper in the treated wood can corrode steel nails so it is necessary to used coated nails or screws when using treated wood.

Load Bearing Wood

• It is recommended that any load bearing wood that has exposure to weather, like posts that support a porch roof, use a treated wood. Untreated wood is much more likely to develop structural issues due to decay as a result of insects or water rot.