The chemicals in Dricon® FRT wood are of very low toxicity and will not harm those involved in use and handling of the product. Normal safety and hygiene practices of working with untreated wood should be followed: wear gloves to avoid splinters, use a dust mask and eye protection when using power tools, and wash your hands after working. Ingestion tests have demonstrated that extreme amounts of wood must be ingested before the chemical exposure would become significant. Tests have shown smoke from Dricon FRT wood to be no more toxic than untreated wood. Contact your supplier or Arch Wood Protection for further information.
Tips on Use
Dricon treatment does not substantially change the physical characteristics of ordinary lumber. Proper handling procedures should be followed when using Dricon lumber and plywood.
| • Dricon wood should not be installed where it will be exposed to precipitation, direct wetting, regular condensation, or come into contact with the ground. |
| • When storing Dricon wood, the material should be kept off the ground and covered to shield it from precipitation. |
| • When installing Dricon FRT lumber and plywood it is important to utilize the design value adjustments published in NER-303 (PDF) and this handbook. |
| • Dricon plywood should be spaced and fastened as recommended in "Design and Construction Guide for Residential and Commercial Uses," published by APA-The Engineered Wood Association. |
| • Normal carpentry practices are applicable. End cutting, drilling, joining, and light surface sanding will not significantly reduce the benefits of the Dricon treatment. Ripping and milling of lumber is not recommended since they may alter the burning characteristics and invalidate the Underwriters Laboratories flame spread classification. Plywood may be cut in any direction. |
| • When painting or staining, the paint or stain manufacturer's recommend- ations should be followed. As with untreated lumber, the surface should be clean and dry. |
| • Cutting to length, drilling holes, joining cuts, and light sanding are permissible. It is not necessary to field-treat cut ends to maintain flame spread rating. |
| • Ripping and milling are not permitted except on red oak and yellow poplar lumber. Surfacing to a depth of 1/16" is permitted on western red cedar lumber. On other species, these operations may alter the surface burning characteristics and will invalidate the UL label. |
| • Carbide-tipped saw blades are recommended if extensive cutting operations are to be performed. However, Dricon FRT wood is not as abrasive as many conventional fire retardants. |
| • Unlike FRT lumber, Dricon plywood can be cut in either direction without loss of fire protection in that surface burning characteristics of plywood are unchanged. |
| • Do not burn treated wood. |
| • Do not use pressure-treated chips or sawdust as mulch. |
Disposal
Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), it is the responsibility of the user of the product to determine, at the time of disposal, whether the product meets RCRA criteria for hazardous waste. This product is typically not considered a hazardous waste but state-run waste programs may not more stringent. Check with your local or state regulators prior to disposal.
For information on finishing and gluing, click here.
