Wood, metal and plastic are the most common materials that are used to make pallet racks for additional storage in warehouses and manufacturing companies. All three materials can be reused or recycled when they are no longer needed for their original purpose. Wood, in particular, can be used for a number of do-it-yourself projects such as coat racks, book shelves, tables or even as a rack for storing your aquarium.
However, if you are planning to reuse wooden pallet racks, there are few things that you might need to assess to determine how suitable it would be for your home.
Extra additions
Wood that is used for pallet racks are sometimes treated with chemical wood preservatives to prevent fungal rot and insect infestation. Those that have been imported from outside the US may have been treated with such chemicals as chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a wood preservative that is no longer advised for residential use in the US due to the leaching of arsenic poison. Lumber that has been treated with fungicide tribromophenol (TPB) may also cause problems in your home, especially if it ever gets damp, resulting in an odor that is moldy and musty.
The best wood preservatives that are currently emerging include borate and ammoniacal copper quatenary (ACQ). These are less toxic and are safer for use in and around the house. An additional consideration for treated wood includes having knowledge of the types of fasteners that can work with them as they (especially the copper) can be corrosive to metals.
A habitat not for humanity
For those pallet racks that were not treated, you have to ensure that they have not been infested with insect larvae. Insects such as wood boring beetles or worm woods can destroy wood from the inside out and cause re-infestation of the same wood or infestation of other wooden furnishings in your house. The larvae can takes months or years to develop and eventually emerge as adult beetles. Since they bore through the wood in search of starch they can cause significant subsurface damage and deplete the structural integrity of your project.
While the signs of larva infestation may not be there before the beetles emerge and leave holes behind, the wood can be sanded down, treated with borate insecticide and refinished to prevent the colony from developing. This treatment can also be a deterrent for termites in warm climates and carpenter ants infestation in cold climates.
Share26 March 2015
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