The transition away from pressure-treating lumber with CCA begins at the end of the year. The effect on the wood manufacturers is obvious. All that's certain about the implications for the fastener industry, however, is that nothing's certain.
Depending on whom you talk to, CCA alternatives -- in particular, alkaline copper quat or ACQ -- either represent no change from CCA or are up to three times as corrosive as the arsenic-based chemical. For their part, the leading manufacturers of ACQ are advising that hot-dipped galvanized or stainless steel fasteners be used with ACQ -- the same products, they quickly point out, they recommended for use in CCA-treated wood.
Some fastener companies are trusting that advice. Others are not satisfied with the way the lumber manufacturers did their testing to determine this and are doing accelerated testing of their own. Still others are testing on a more long-term basis, hoping to closer replicate real-life conditions before they make any recommendations.
This is a controversial, opinion-filled issue that will no doubt stay unresolved for weeks and months to come. The best advice is to keep your eye on this one, staying in close contact with your lumber and fastener manufacturers for the latest recommendations.