It is safe to use old decking to make veg planters?

 
Hi,

I am just about to have a new patio built on the back of my house which
will involve removing a small decking area. The decking area was built
sometime before I moved into the house 3 and a half years ago.

The decking wood looks like it could make several movable raised
planters for me to grow vegetables in on the new patio (I don't want to
put the veg in the earth as I have no idea what it has been treated with
in the past). This has the potential of saving me 70 quid per planter,
as well as reusing materials rather than throwing them out in a builders
skip.

I have been reading up on pressure treated wood and it's dangers and
obviously don't want to grow veg that could poison us.

And so, finally to my question:
Is there a way to find out if the decking wood was treated with CCA
without sending it to a lab, and if there isn't does anyone know of a
lab that doesn't cost a fortune to test such a thing?


Many thanks for any advice on this.

Bean




--
Bean

 
Bean;915553 Wrote:

Doh, doh, doh, doh!

I have just checked back to see if anyone has left any replies to
discover that I have incorrectly worded the subject on the post. I fell
at the first word. The subject should read:
"Is it safe to use old decking to make veg planters?"

Sorry!




--
Bean

 @gardenbanter.co.uk:


Bit of a puzzler this.
If you got a splinter say in your finger, or a child fell on it and got a
splinter from it surely that would be worse than using it as a planter?
As a carpenter and joiner I have probably had lots and lots of splinters
that I never knew I had from this type of timber, as all types of timber,
its part of the job as your hands get harder and you only notice them when
they fester.

Chromated Copper Arsenate can lead to arsenic poisoning and I know of no
test you can do, so if you are worried GET RID or you could make something
else from it which will not be in contact with food or food chain.

You will never be at ease not knowing. If it were me I would not use it as
you suggest, just to be on the safe side.

Baz

 On 21/03/2011 16:32, Bean wrote:

Line the sides with plastic sheet

Malcolm

 @newsfe19.ams2:

Not suitable really, not worth risking as the copper and arsenic can and
does leach through. It really is dangerous. Please at least humour me on
this and don't sublimilarly poison yourselves, at least till Chromated
Copper Arsenate can be certified safe in all circumstances.

Baz