Pool Questions Answered: FAQs on Above Ground Pools

Pressure Treated Products were first used in this country in the early 1930’s. Several tests have proven the effectiveness of treated lumber to resist failure from decay or insect infestation. One such test was started in Mississippi in 1934 and more than 50 years later, the test posts are still functional. Another example of the longevity of treated wood began in the late 1930’s. The Bell System installed more than 250,000 poles by 1947 and not one failure has been found to date. Pressure treating wood does not make it waterproof. It does, however, protect wood by completely penetrating lumber and rendering it useless as a food source for wood destroying insects and organisms. Through a complex chemical reaction the original water soluble solution of CA (Copper Azole) is reduced by wood sugars to form highly insoluble and leach resistant precipitates. The Wolman CA precipitates are fixed in the wood and are non-volatile. They will not vaporize or evaporate. Due to the proven test results treated lumber has shown, Wolman warrants the wooden components of all Crestwood and EZ-Do Pools to be free of damage due to decay or insect infestation for the lifetime of the original purchaser.

The pressure treatment process begins by completely immersing lumber in a pressurized tank filled with a water based solution of CA (Copper Azole). As wood is exposed to moisture it swells similar to a sponge. When most commercially available pressure treated lumber is exposed to sunlight and lower humidity it begins to dry out and shrink. These tendencies of the treated lumber are often considered undesirable. Drying of the wood (and the accompanying shrinkage) is what contributes to bowing, warping and crooking of the treated lumber. These characteristics would be unacceptable to above ground pool wall construction. To eliminate any potential problems, Crestwood & EZ-Do Pools Kiln Dries (dries in a large oven) all its lumber and continually monitors its moisture content. By doing so, Crestwood & EZ-Do Pools can insure stable wooden components that have been dried to their equilibrium moisture content. After drying, the boards are again inspected for warping, twisting, bowing or cracking.

Pressure treated wood wall above ground pools are an attractive, safe and long lasting alternative to the standard metal wall above ground pool. Crestwood & EZ-Do Pools uses only the finest Grade 1 Southern Yellow Pine in all of its pools. This stringently graded type of lumber is not only the most easily and completely treated wood available, but also, selected from the best parts of the tree. Only boards that meet strict guidelines for knot size and quantity, limited amount of wane (bark remaining along the edge of the board), grain consistency and structural integrity can be graded as #1. Although only #1 Lumber is used, Crestwood & EZ-Do Pools acts as the final inspector monitoring the moisture content, bowing, crooking and surface appearance.