Grading + Treatment

Most of the timber we sell at Softwoods has been treated in one way or another. While the chemicals used for treatment change, the treatment process is always very similar.

Softwoods Select Grading

Softwoods Select Glulam H3 Timbers and Beams

These superior timbers and beams break new ground in safety, looks, performance & durability and they’re exceptionally cost effective when compared to LOSP alternatives. Manufactured using industry leading Koppers MicroPro™ treatment – a new product that provides outstanding preservation and 100% Arsenic-Free. This treatment meets government compliance & it’s also backed by a massive 50 Year Limited Guarantee. Engineered to exceed GL8 strength standards, Softwoods Select GLULAM timbers are amazingly straight & stable, utilising a marine grade Class 3 Purbond® Glue it’s also the durable & reliable choice. Available in a huge range of sizes and lengths these timbers are made in New Zealand from select visual graded timber. Ready to paint or Stain for a variety of looks and available pre primed if you need. They offer an ideal solution for outdoor structures and are safe for use in school and daycare applications.

Softwoods Select Premium Grade Decking

Our select grade premium decking is a superior plantation grown pine product with clear smooth face and clear edges. Ideal for that clean, no knot look. Can be stained to look like hardwood.

Softwoods Select Premium Grade Screening Products

Our select screening products are a superior range of boards with 1 clear face and 2 clear edges which may contain only minor blemishes on the reverse face. Ideal for that clear, no knot look and can be stained to look like hardwood. Available in 42×19, 70×19, 90×19, 140×19.

Softwoods Select Solar Battens and Rhombus Battens

Select grade glulam micropro battens are ideal for privacy screening and pergola shading applications. Both come from responsible sources and are beautifully finished.

Softwoods Select LOSP Primed

Select grade LOSP Primed is a dressed double primed range of products ideally suited for those applications demanding the very best of finishes. Available in F7 structural, GL8 Glulam Beams and a range of 18mm boards and finishing profiles. Structural sizes available in lengths up to 7.2m.

Treatment Information

All of our timber is plantation grown. Once logged, it’s cut into workable sizes in the mill. If left untreated, pine placed inground will rot within 12 months, however treated pine will last up to 30 years.

Prior to treatment the timber is kiln dried to 15% of it’s original moisture to allow for better absorption of the treatment solution. Once suitably dried, it’s subjected to a vacuum to extract as much air as possible. The preservative is then pumped into the vacuum and pressure applied until the appropriate uptake of solution has occurred. The solution is then pumped from the tank and the vacuum reapplied to extract excess solution.

As soon as the treatment process is complete the timber is again kiln dried to return its moisture content to 15%. The timber can then be packed and shipped.

Dressed Treated Pine (DAR)

Most of the timber used in pergolas and decking substructure is CCA DAR treated pine. DAR indicates that the timber is dressed all round, which means simply that it has been planed smooth on all surfaces. CCA treated timber is pressure treated and designed for use in outdoor areas or areas of increased moisture or insect habitation.

CCA stands for Copper (23-25%) Chrome (38-45%) and Arsenic (30-37%). This solution is water borne and is designed to protect timber from rotting, attacks from fungus, termites and other wood boring insects. Copper acts as a guard against rotting and decay, Arsenic is used as a pesticide to ward off insects and Chromium is used to bind these two agents together and make the treatment insoluble and prevent it from leaching from the timber.

Once treated with a CCA solution pine will have a slight greenish tinge, however natural discolouration will still occur if the timber is left unpainted or unstained.

Treated timber is available in several different finishes to suit different needs. The “finish” of the timber is the appearance of the surface of the product. The most common finish for treated pine is micro-reeded or rougher headed. This is a machined finish with a finely bevelled appearance on the surface of the timber. This finish helps to smooth the appearance of any knots or imperfections in the timber and it allows for ease of painting.

CCA Safety

In accordance with an APVMA (Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority) recommendation of March 2005, CCA treated timber will no longer be used in the production of:

Garden furniture
Picnic tables
Exterior seating
Children’s play equipment
Decking boards
Handrails

As such, we no longer stock any CCA decking and sell only LOSP treated handrails. We only use CCA timber for purposes that are fully government approved.

LOSP Treated Pine

LOSP or Light Organic Solvent Preservative is a treatment that is usually a white spirit based solvent which contains copper naphthenates and synthetic pyrethroids as well as other chemicals to provide protection from insects and decay.

LOSP treated pine is usually machined to the required lengths and shapes before the treatment is applied. As a result of this less pressure is used in the treatment process and a little less penetration of solution is achieved. This does not affect the longevity of the timber, however it means that LOSP timber must not go in ground and if the timber is cut the cut ends must be resealed.

Unprimed LOSP timber is natural in its appearance as the solution used is clear and hence causes no discolouration of the timber. Like CCA the timber will weather and discolour if not stained or painted.

LOSP treated timber is occasionally treated with an oil based protective primer. This is called a Pink Primed (as the primer is usually pink) and it is always applied on kiln dried DAR finished LOSP. The Primer is intended as a protective coating only and should be sanded down before painting.

Alternative Treatments

ACQ or Alkaline Copper Quartenary is a relatively new treatment which is a water based solution which uses Copper to protect against rot and fungal attack and Ammonium Quartenary as a pesticide. ACQ treated timber possesses most of the same qualities as CCA timber in that it can be used in inground applications.

Tanalith E or Copper Azole treatment is another new water borne solution which again uses Copper as a fungicide and Azole as a pesticide, it too can be used in inground applications and has most of the same properties as CCA treated timber.