Pressure Treated Wood Framing in a Basement

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framing pressure treated bottom board Several people have asked me whether you should use pressure treated wood to frame a basement. The thought behind using pressure treated wood is that it resists moisture much better than its untreated counterparts. While it is slightly more expensive than untreated wood, the questioner reasons, if it will make the job better, cost may not be an issue.

While it is true that pressure treated wood resists moisture and rot, and will generally stand up to the elements better than untreated boards, it is both unnecessary and may even be dangerous to frame an entire basement with pressure treated lumber. This is because pressure treated lumber leeches chemicals over time which will ultimately end up in the walls and air in the basement. In addition, pressure treated wood contains toxic chemicals that can be released during a fire. Breathing in regular smoke can be bad enough, you would prefer it doesn’t also contain arsonic.

In general, it is only necessary to use pressure treated lumber for the bottom board of walls that are sitting on the slab. This minimal use of pressure treated wood is required because the slab will wick moisture between the underlying dirt and the bottom board. Over a short period of time, an untreated board will rot under these conditions, and a pressure treated board is the right move here. (FYI. There is some disagreement on this point. Other sites will say that a pressure treated bottom board is unnecessary, and may still pose a health hazard).

If you have a water problem in your basement, you should address this problem before trying to finish it. Pressure treated lumber is not the solution. Ultimatley, you’ll need to use other finishing products that will encounter problems in a moist basement (e.g. drywall, which can mold under moist conditions).