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Third-Party Inspection by an ALSC-Accredited Agency

To meet the requirements of building codes, treated wood must be identified by the quality mark of an accredited American Lumber Standard Committee inspection agency. Each qualified agency has its own mark, which can be located in different positions on the ink stamp or end tag. In the past, it was sometimes difficult for code officials, building material dealers, and contractors to find the mark among the other bits of information. A torturous search is no longer necessary.

ALSC-accredited inspection agencies

August 2005

Agencies accredited by the Board of Review of the American Lumber Standard Committee, Incorporated and typical quality marks.

Interpreting a Quality Mark

1. The identifying symbol, logo or name of the accredited agency.
2. The applicable American Wood–Preservers’ Association (AWPA) commodity Standard and/or Use Category.
3. The year of treatment if required by AWPA Standard/Use category.
4. The preservative used, which may be abbreviated.
5. The preservative retention.
6. The exposure category (e.g. Above Ground, Ground Contact, etc.).
7. The company name and location of home office; or company name and number; or company number.
8. If applicable, moisture content after treatment.
9. If applicable, length, and/or class.

As specified below for particular agencies, some or all of the following American Wood–Preservers’ Association commodity standards are used by American Lumber Standard Committee, Incorporated accredited agencies which supervise facilities which pressure treat wood products:

C1 All Timber Products — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes C2 Lumber, Timbers, Bridge Ties and Mine Ties — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes C3 Piles — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes C4 Poles — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes C5 Fence Posts — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes C6 Crossties and Switch Ties — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Process C9 Plywood — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes C15 Wood for Commercial-Residential Construction — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes C17 Playground Equipment Treated with Inorganic Preservatives — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes C18 Standard for Pressure Treated Material in Marine Construction C22 Lumber and Plywood for Permanent Wood Foundations — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes C23 Round Poles and Posts used in Building Construction — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes C24 Sawn Timber Used to Support Residential and Commercial Structures C25 Sawn Crossarms — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Process C28 Standard for Preservative Treatment by Pressure Process of Structural Glued Laminated Members and Laminations Before Gluing C31 Lumber Used Out of Contact With the Ground and Continuously Protected from Liquid Water — Treatment by Pressure Processes C33 Standard for Preservative Treatment of Structural Composite Lumber by Pressure Processes C34 Shakes and Shingles — Preservative Treatment by Pressure Processes
AWPA Use Categories and Corresponding AWPA Commodity Standards ***
AWPA Use Category (UC)	Use Category Service Conditions	Corresponding AWPA Commodity Standard (C)
UC1	Interior construction, dry, above ground	C1, C2, C15, C28, C31
UC2	Interior construction, damp above ground	C1, C2, C9, C15, C25, C28, C31
UC3A	Exterior construction, coated, above ground	C1, C2, C15, C34
UC3B	Exterior construction, above ground	C1, C2, C9, C15, C28, C33, C34
UC4A	Ground contact or fresh water	C1, C2, C4, C5, C6, C9, C15, C17, C28, C33
UC4B	Ground contact or fresh water or important construction components	C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C15, C22, C23, C24, C28, C33
UC4C	Ground contact or fresh water or critical construction components	C1, C2, C3, C4, C6, C24, C28, C33
UC5A, UC5B, UC5C	Salt or brackish water and adjacent mud zone	C1, C2, C3, C9, C18
*** For additional information concerning the AWPA Use Category and Commodity Standard treatment requirements contact the American Wood-Preservers’ Association, P.O. Box 338, Selma, AL 36702 (Telephone: 334-874-9800, Fax: 334-874-9008, E-Mail: email@awpa.com; Web Site: www.awpa.com.)
As specified in the following tables, some or all of the following preservatives are used: KEY TO THE FOLLOWING TABLES CCA - ACA - ACZA - ACC - ACQ - COPPER NAP - PENTA - CREOSOTE - BORATE - CBA/CA - CC - CDDC - chromated copper arsenate ammoniacal copper arsenate ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate acid copper chromate ammoniacal/alkali copper quat. copper naphthenate pentachlorophenol creosote and/or solutions borates copper azole ammoniacal copper citrate copper bis (dimethyldithiocarbamate) 1 - 2 - 3 - R - SP - RP - PP - HF - DF - LP - WH - RDP - CP - EWP - JP - sawn material and plywood plywood only sawn material only round commodities southern pine red pine ponderosa pine hem-fir coastal Douglas fir lodgepole pine western hemlock radiata pine caribbean pine eastern white pine jack pine
ACCREDITED AGENCY AND ADDRESSES	TYPICAL QUALITY MARK	TABLE OF COMMODITIES, BY SPECIES & PRESERVATIVE (See Key)
Bode Inspection, Inc. P.O. Box 307 Beverton, OR 97075-0307 503-590-3555 Fax: 503-590-2802 bodeins@comcast.net		HF DF WH CCA 1 1,R R ACA 1 1,R R ACZA 1 1,R R ACC 1 1,R R ACQ 1 1,R   COPPER NAP 1 1,R R PENTA 1 1,R R CREOSOTE 1 1,R R CBA/CA 3 1 3 BORATE 1 1 1
Canadian Softwood Inspection Agency, Inc. 1047 - 250A Street Aldergrove, BC V4W 2S8 Canada 604-857-2112 Fax: 604-857-2177 canadiansoftwood@telus.net		SP RP PP HF DF LP WH JP CCA 1,R 1,R 1,R 1 1,R 1,R 1,R 1,R BORATE 1 - All AWPA Applicable Species
Florida Lumber Inspection Service P.O. Box 898 Conyers, GA 30012 770-922-8000 Fax: 770-922-1290 tgreer@tpinspection.com		SP RP PP RDP CP CCA 1,R 1,R 1,R 1,R 1,R COPPER NAP 1,R 1,R 1,R 1,R 1,R PENTA 1,R 1,R 1,R 1,R 1,R CREOSOTE 1,R 1,R 1,R 1,R 1,R
Northeastern Lumber Manufacturer's Association, Inc. 272 Tuttle Road P.O. Box 87A Cumberland Center, ME 04021 207-829-6901 Fax: 207-829-4293 info@nelma.org		ALL AWPA APPLICABLE SPECIES CCA 1,R ACZA 1,R ACC 1,R ACQ 1,R PENTA 1,R CREOSOTE 1,R BORATE 1 CBA/CA 1,R
Northern Softwood Lumber Bureau 272 Tuttle Road P.O. Box 87A Cumberland Center, ME 04021 207-829-6901 Fax: 207-829-4293 info@nelma.org		SP RP PP EWP CCA 1 1 1 1 ACZA 1 1 1 1
PFS Corporation 2402 Daniels Street Madison, WI 53718 608-221-3361 Fax:608-221-1780 jrothman@PFSCorporation.com		SP RP PP HF DF LP WH CCA 1,R 1,R 1,R 1 2,R R R ACA 1,R 1,R 1,R 1 1,R R R ACQ 1,R 1,R 1,R 1 1,R 1,R R ACZA 1,R 1,R 1,R 1 1,R R R ACC 1,R 1,R 1,R 1 2,R R R CA 1,R 1,R 1 1 1 R   CREOSOTE 1,R 1,R 1,R 1 1,R R R
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau 4555 Spanish Trail Pensacola, FL 32504 850-434-5011 Fax: 850-434-5388 spib@spib.org		ALL AWPA APPLICABLE SPECIES CCA 1,R PENTA R CREOSOTE R ACQ 1 ACZA 1 ACC 1 BORATE 1 CBA/CA 1,R
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau maintains a laboratory accredited for the analysis of wood samples pressure treated with the following preservative(s): CCA, ACC, ACZA, BORATE, PENTA, CREOSOTE, CBA/CA, and ACQ.
Timber Products Inspection P.O. Box 919 Conyers, GA 30012 770-922-8000 Fax: 770-922-1290 tgreer@tpinspection.com		ALL AWPA APPLICABLE SPECIES CCA 1,R ACA 1,R ACZA 1,R ACQ 1,R COPPER NAP 1,R PENTA 1,R CREOSOTE 1,R BORATE 1 CBA/CA 1,R CC 1,R CDDC 3
Timber Products Inspection maintains a laboratory accredited for the analysis of wood samples pressure treated with the following preservative(s): CCA, ACA, ACZA, ACC, ACQ, COPPER NAP, PENTA, CREOSOTE, BORATE, CBA/CA, CC, and CDDC.

American Lumber Standard Committee, Incorporated
PO Box 210, Germantown, MD 20875-0210
301-972-1700 ~ fax 301-540-8004 ~ email: alsc@alsc.org ~ url: www.alsc.org