Choose the correct Use Category for your application
It is important to choose the correct use category for pressure
treated wood applications. The following are the AWPA Standard Categories and
are the warranty categories for Babb products:
Above Ground UC3b (The Babb product is EcoLife
designated as EL2)
Ground Contact UC4A (The Babb product is Copper Azole
CA-C)
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4x4 and larger posts
-
Round fence posts
-
Joists and beams when touching the ground or in ground
proximity or not having good ventilation
-
Joists and beams for docks
-
Stair stringers
-
Ledger boards attached directly to the home.
Some manufacturers suggest that all above ground applications should be treated
to ground contact UC4A and if you are using their products you should follow
their requirements. However, our EcoLife product is specifically designed for
the unique exposure to alternating sun and wet conditions typical for above
ground outdoor applications and will perform with less twisting and weathering
cracks than other products. The EcoLife warranty covers all above ground
applications, including joists and beams.
While Babb Lumber also supplies UC4A material on all items, we believe that our UC3B EcoLife product is a better
choice for above ground applications. Please consider the following benefits:
-
EcoLife contains a stabilizer additive that reduces warping
and cracks while shedding water. EcoLife is specifically formulated for the
alternating sun/rain exposures of above ground applications. Ground contact
treatments generally do not include a stabilizer.
-
EcoLife does not depend on copper as a preservative and
resists attacks by the increasingly prevalent copper tolerant fungi. All of
the ground contact products currently available in the market use copper as a preservative.
-
EcoLife uses the proper amount of preservative for above
ground applications. Using ground contact products for above ground
applications introduces unnecessary amounts of chemical into the
environment.
-
EcoLife products offer superior above ground performance at
a cost that is equivalent or often less than ground contact products.
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