By Mark Clement
When a new product like TimberSIL's glass-impregnated pressure treated lumber comes around, there's only one thing to do: shine a Klieg light on it and tell everyone you know. It looks like this material could be the biggest advancement in lumber engineering since plywood.
The product TimberSIL makes is the next generation of pressure treated Southern Yellow Pine. But instead of impregnating the lumber with a mix of nasty chemicals and heavy metals, it's treated at very high heat with sodium silicate, which is glass. Instead of looking engineered, it still resembles wood.
TimberSIL's Sodium Silicate Technology (SST) is a revolutionary process. It binds sodium silicate with the wood fibers, essentially surrounding them in glass (called "amorphous glass") creating a permanent bond with the wood fibers at the molecular level. "TimberSIL's protective characteristics match or exceed those of other treatment chemicals," according to the company. "[It] outperform[s] ACQ, CA and straight borates. Indeed, if you could use all of these other products at once, the benefits would not match those of TimberSIL."
Add to that, SST is totally non-toxic and can't leach its preservative into the ground like other treated materials can, even when soaked with water for long periods of time. And, while TimberSIL is totally harmless to people and animals, bugs and micro-organisms have no interest in eating it. The company says you can grind up a TimberSIL 2x6, drop it in a termite mound for a century, then come back to find the pieces right where you left them. That's good stuff.
TimberSIL is so new that it's just entering distribution. It's currently priced competitively with cedar according to the company. But, like anything new that's good, once demand rises and distribution channels fill, that may change.
TimberSIL is targeting their marketing efforts at deck builders right now. There are about 70-different stock dimensions presently, from 1-by, 2-by, 4-by, 6-by and baluster stock. The 5/4 decking comes in both standard and premium grade. Even if your customers spec synthetic decking and/or handrails, you can still frame with TimberSIL. If you deck with TimberSIL, the material accepts stains and sealers as well.
Decks, however, aren't all TimberSIL is good for. In addition to being essentially inert to the environment, it's fire retardant which makes it attractive for stick framing and wood applications where fire codes are an issue. "TimberSIL will burn at temperatures that are well above what you would normally need to start or sustain a flame," according to the company, "But TimberSIL will not sustain a flame up to several thousand degrees, which provides excellent protection against accidental fires." Combine that with its insect resistance and it's a winning combination for challenging building environments.
With all this going for it, it looks like there's no question TimberSIL is suitable for sill plate applications right out of the chute—and more. "Timber Treatment Technologies TimberSIL™ formula is designed to be used for interior applications, exterior above ground and in ground applications," according to the company's website.
TimberSIL also provides a 40 year warranty that covers "biological degradation, damage in exposed environments, and damage from most common wood protection problems." Plus, it's not any harder on your tools, bits and blades than untreated wood.
Get ready. Change is coming.
TimberSIL
Mark Clement is a remodeler and author of The Carpenter's Notebook and The Kid's Carpenter's Workbook, Fun Family Projects! Find out more at
www.TheCarpentersNotebook.com.
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