Residential Treated Wood Use Guide


To make sure you have the right treated wood for the right job, check the guide below for residential above ground and ground contact uses.

Treated Wood Use Guide



Learn the difference in above ground and ground contact treated wood.

Two types of pressure treated wood


For all types of treated wood use, the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) standardized six main Category Uses with 12 Sub-category Uses, listed below.

AWPA Use Categories and subcategories


The preservatives in pressure treated wood

  • All preservatives standardized by the American Wood Protection Association (AWPA) are registered pesticides regulated by the EPA. 
  • The AWPA Book of Standards categorizes preservatives by their intended use with the required minimum retention levels for various wood species.
  • The preservatives for the most common Use Categories and the standardized retentions for Southern pine are listed below.


types of preservatives AWPA categories


Click here for the excerpt of all Use Category designations from AWPA.com.