replacing window

I'm replacing an old window with an Andersen double-hung Narroline window. I have to install 2 x 4's, new header and cripples. A friend suggested using pressure-treated lumber. I'm getting conflicting opinions at lumber supply places as to whether pressure-treated is safe and appropriate for this use. Some say it may warp and my even violate codes because of chemical content. Is it best to use regular 2 x 4 lumber?

 

Unless some of the framing come in contatc with concrete, you don't need pressure treated wood for the frame. I have heard that it is even against code. Just go with regular lumber. Is the new window larger that the original opening. SHouldn't have to reframe the area if the window is aporximately the same size unless some other condition exists that would make the replacement necessary.

 

Don't use P.T. as framing lumber. It is not as strong as standard framing material. What is used for framing depends on what part of the country you in. Around here, it's doug fir and hem-fir.

 

Lefty.....gotta argue.....by pressure treated, do you mean southern yellow pine ?.....that is what we get here for PT.

If it's grade for grade, in other words, #1 to #1, or #2 to #2, southern yellow pine is stronger than any hem-sprue-fir that is sent in here......and I'd say it's dang close to Douglas Fir.....which we don't see here much.

Every truss built in the south uses SYP because it is so strong.

But as to the guy's original question, no, I wouldn't use PT either.....if you need PT to prevent rot around a window, you have a water problem,not a lumber problem.

 

Andy, first, I totally agree with your last statement to Sylfrank -- "if you need PT to prevent rot around a window, you have a water problem,not a lumber problem." Truer words have not been spoken on this website in a long time.

Now, to you discussion of wood. It's gonna be a very short arguement. On the west coast, we don't have southern yellow pine. What gets pressure treated here is fir or hem-fir. I am not familiar with SYP, but when you say it is as strong as any hem-spruce-fir you get from the west coast, you are probably right. It's strictly a regional thing. SYP won't grow in CA, and doug fir won't grow in TN (at least I don't THINK it will!). So, our lumber mills offer us what is available locally, at a reasonable price.

Not sure how your SYP reacts top being pressure treated, but the process tends to make hem-fir pretty much useless as a framing material in 2X dimensions. Maybe it's not the process -- just the grade of lumber they chose to P.T. 'Not good enough for framing -- we'll make mudsill out of it!'

 

Lefty:

I understand......it is a regional thing....

I did some reading after I did that last post and found that SYP is rated just slightly less in strength as Doug Fir and quite a bit stronger than spruce. SYP is a real beauty of a wood.... harder and stronger than a lot of "hardwoods" .....grows straight, clear and fairly fast.....makes pinecones the size of grapefruits.

SYP take PT well and doesn't seem to affect the strength, but I have had eastern white pine PT ( I have a sawmill and we have a local place that will custom PT ) and it didn't do well....wouldn't take the CCA very deep and the fibers seemed to swell a lot.

I was at HomeDepot one day, and saw a bundle of DougFir studs. Their supplier must have run short of SPF and put that one bundle in to make the load, because that's the first one I've seen around here in 20 years. People didn't even know what they were !