Warning: stop using pressure treated lumber for indoor shelving

I keep seeing builds on here with PT wood going up in closets and garages that connect to living space. That stuff offgasses for months and it warps like crazy once it dries out. I put up a shelf in my basement workshop with it back in March and by June the whole thing bowed half an inch. The chemical smell hung around my utility room for weeks too. If you need something cheap and straight, just use kiln dried pine and seal it. Has anyone else had a PT board twist on them after a few seasons?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannahj4910h ago

Whoa, half an inch in three months? That's wild. I hear you on the smell though, my buddy built a workbench out of the stuff and his whole garage reeked for a solid month, even with the door cracked. I get using it for ground contact or a fence, but putting it inside your house just feels like asking for trouble. Kiln dried pine and a decent coat of poly seems like the obvious move for shelves, it's not like you're building a deck in your living room.

evan_grant709h ago

@hannahj49 right? That's exactly why I'd never put that stuff indoors.