Treated Lumber and Aluminum Boats

[SilverSog]

Hello,

I've heard there are corrosion issues when treated lumber comes in contact with aluminum and I've seen advice not to use this lumber when replacing stringers and floorboards. So how corrosive is the combination? Could there be an issue putting an aluminum boat on a lift where the bunks are treated lumber and not carpeted?

[Pat K]

There are so many different types of treated lumber out there now. Some are safe with aluminum and some aren't.

The ACQ treated lumber that came out about 7 or 8 years ago is the most common one and the one that is highly reactive with aluminum.

There is Micronized treated lumber where the copper quaternaries that react with the aluminum and other metals are micro-encapsilated by some chemical that prevents it from corroding metals.

The newest one available is the Borate treated lumber. The copper has been replaced with boron and it is not corrosive.

Read the little tags on the lumber. If it says ACQ, AC2 or AC anything it needs special hardware and should not be in direct contact with aluminum or other metals. If the label has micro, borate or boron on it the lumber should be safe to use with aluminum. Talk to the people at the lumber yard and check out the Universal Lumber Products web site. They are the worlds largest producer of treated lumber.

[Pat K]

I should have proof read my post its Universal Forest Products.