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MicroPro Sienna Brown wood

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  • Sep 16th, 2016 12:06 pm
[OP]
Member
Oct 14, 2007
373 posts
47 upvotes

MicroPro Sienna Brown wood

There are a lot of wastage in my neighbourhood from people building fences- left over unused MicroPro Sienna Brown wood and large cut pieces. I was thinking about salvaging it and turning it into a work bench. Are there are rules against using this material indoors?

It's supposedly environmentally friendly.

The product monograph doesn't specific if it is exclusively outdoor use only.

It would just be a shame that these pieces are tossed into a bin vs. recycling them.
1 reply
Deal Addict
Jan 5, 2003
4971 posts
4865 upvotes
Toronto
It's pressure treated wood. It shouldn't be used indoors because if there's a fire, it releases lots of nasty chemicals compared to plain whitewood. Also shouldn't be sanded or cut without wearing a mask because you'll be breathing in that stuff. Keep in mind that treatments will cause corrosion with non-galvanized metals. I've read of people placing metal tools down on PT wood and when they pick it up again a couple of days later, they already start to see some corrosion. MicroPro Sienna is supposed to not corrode as much compared to other brands, but still...

Current treatments aren't as bad as the older stuff, but still not very "healthy". I think Bluwood is the other pressure treatment allowed indoors.

All that being said, if you're just building a workbench, you very likely won't suffer any harm from it, whether you leave it in your garage or inside your house, but don't frame a basement with it. If I had a lot of extras, there are lots of exterior projects you could use for it: benches, side tables, small gazebo for your BBQ, hidden storage for garbage bins, etc.

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