MCA Pressure Treated - Cat Tree? Opinions?

David Agnew

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Good afternoon. I'd like to hear y'all's opinions about using MCA (not CCA) pressure treated lumber to build a cat tree.

If you don't know, this is a cat tree: Google Images

My cats are not chewers. There will be no exposed wood; everything will be carpeted or wrapped in jute.

This is the new MCA stuff (Yellawood, ProWood) not the old CCA stuff.

Also, assuming this is safe, would galvanized fasteners be recommended or could bright common be used? It's indoors so I don't think there'd be enough moisture to catalyze the copper to attack the steel. But I could be wrong. Do framers use galvanized to attach PT bottom plates to non-PT framing when finishing a basement?

Thanks for your opinions.
 
I'm not a framer, nor an expert. I'm just mystified as to why you would want to use treated lumber in an indoor project?
I'd just use plain old 2x4 type stock. SPF. Around here it'd be Spruce.
 
According to all of the industry data the MCA stuff is pretty safe for most uses so odds are once you've covered it it would be fine. The largest leachate would be copper compounds and they are pretty tightly bonded inside MCA so odds of traveling are low. If you're feeling paranoid put a good coat of primer and paint on it before adding the carpet.

I wouldn't use bright common, the residual moisture in the wood is sufficient to cause galvanic reactions over time and you don't need rust bleeding out onto the floor :D I can't say it would happen, but can't say it won't either so for the cost difference I wouldn't waste the energy on questionable fasteners. Even galvanized I'd use good quality ones that have a lot of coating.
 
According to all of the industry data the MCA stuff is pretty safe for most uses so odds are once you've covered it it would be fine. The largest leachate would be copper compounds and they are pretty tightly bonded inside MCA so odds of traveling are low. If you're feeling paranoid put a good coat of primer and paint on it before adding the carpet.

I wouldn't use bright common, the residual moisture in the wood is sufficient to cause galvanic reactions over time and you don't need rust bleeding out onto the floor :D I can't say it would happen, but can't say it won't either so for the cost difference I wouldn't waste the energy on questionable fasteners. Even galvanized I'd use good quality ones that have a lot of coating.

Thanks for your input. After researching it more, I've come to the same conclusion. Paint or otherwise seal it before use and it'll be fine as long as it doesn't get chewed into.

I've got a few coated fasteners left also, so I may as well use them too.
 
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