Ask the Experts - Preserve® CA

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  • Is an ICC ESR needed for Preserve CA-C Treated Wood?

    An ICC ESR is not needed or required for Preserve® CA-C pressure treated wood product if it has been treated to American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) standards. The AWPA Book of Standards is the accepted standard to meet applicable building code requirements. An ICC ESR would simply be a duplication of current practices and results.

    Preserve CA-C pressure treated lumber is produced to the exacting standard of the AWPA Standards:

    • U1-11, Use Categories UC1, UC2, UC3, and UC4
    • M2 Standard for Inspection of Wood Products Treated with Preservatives
    • M4 Standard for Care of Preservative-Treated Wood Products
    • The Preserve CA-C preservative meets the current requirements of the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) P26-P29 and P48 standards respectively.
    • Preserve CA-C meets the AWPA Standards mandated in sections 2303.1.8 and 2304.11.2 of the International Building Code (IBC),and sections 2303.1.8 and 2304.11.2 of the current California Building Code.
    • Numerous field studies and decades of commercial use have shown that material treated to the AWPA standards will provide wood structures with proper protection from rot and termite attack. An ICC ESR would yield no additional or different use information than what is currently available for Preserve CA-C wood treated to AWPA standards.

    Preserve CA-C treated wood that has been processed per AWPA standards is third-party inspected by an ALSC approved inspection agency. Treating plants that process Preserve CA-C treated wood per AWPA standards are required to have an on-site quality control management program that involves inspections and quality control sampling of every production batch.

    You can assure your wood meets national consensus standards for pressure treated wood by looking for the distinctive CheckMark logo which appears on end labels or stamps on quality treated wood products (see example of CheckMark logo below). The CheckMark logo signifies that the wood has been produced under third party oversight and inspection to ensure that minimum requirements for preservative penetration, retention, and quality control have been met.1

    1https://preservedwood.org/the-...


    Todd Schoffstoll, Western Regional Manager

    704.340.3376 (Office and Mobile)

    Check out Todd's bio here.