Originally Posted by
John K Jordan
I wonder if the quality of pressure treating has decreased, at least for what is sold at the box store.
I believe that is true to a certain extent in the retail outlets...one has to be really careful about the description/specifications for the particular product they are buying for sure. There are multiple grades of pressure treatment...it's not all the same and that's not necessarily evident on retail shelf price stickers. Post Frame builders tend to buy their laminated poles from specialty manufacturers and one would hope that the preservation process being used on the in-ground portion of the post is up to the task, particularly with the so-called "lifetime" warranty many builders offer on them, including my builder. I would also imagine, but can't say for sure, that many of these same builders are buying their PT sticks in bunks, maybe directly from the treatment folks. Hopefully, that would mean the correct product for ground contact elements, such as grade boards. Hard to say, however...different firms take different attitudes about material purchasing. Some embrace the best they can get for the long term benefits it brings and others buy "best price" to maximize profit at all costs. It's no different than any other kind of business.
--
The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...