Decking insights: PWT is on a mission
The developers of PWT Treated LVL are on a mission to build better decks, or at least provide the decking substructure to get it done.
PWT stands for Pacific Woodtech, and LVL for laminated veneer lumber. And behind those initials is a product – described as the “world’s first manufacturer-treated LVL” — that’s ground-breaking and benefit-loaded.
The science behind the product begins at the beginning, where the LVL is treated during the manufacturing process. Strength, stiffness and uniformity are all built in. And so is workability. PWT Treated LVL is lighter than pressure treated lumber of equal size.
“Our treated LVL product is the first time anybody’s been able to use LVL for exterior use,” said Duane Smith, vice president of marketing and business development for PWT. “And it's really revolutionized how people are framing their decks.”
The slogan at PWT is “The best decking deserves the best deck substructure.” Smith and the PWT team back up their position with a long list of features and benefits:
• Uniform in size, wane free and straight;
• Sustainable and renewable;
• Protects against rot, decay and insects;
• A 25-year lifetime limited warranty.
• Longer, straighter, easier-to-build substructure.
The manufacturing process treats the entire wood member uniformly throughout its cross section without adding VOCs or mineral solvents. On top of that, Treated LVL retains the full strength of the wood fiber. While other companies have tried to develop similar penetration technologies, PWT Treated LVL marks the first success.
PWT: The inside story
The journey to a finished product for PWT Treated LVL begins with the peeling of logs into thin veneers that are treated in a break-through process before being pressed together into a board. “It’s treated all the way through, from the inside out,” said Smith.
The active treated chemicals and organic compounds that make up the company’s proprietary TRU-CORE technology retain their strength for 30 to 60 years—a big improvement over traditional treatment process where only the outer layer of wood fiber is treated, the company said.
“We’re really the first ones in the world that have figured out this technology,” Smith said. “And we're the first manufacturer that's been able to utilize using LVL in an exterior use.”
Sophisticated science is baked into the product. But for deck builders, there’s a simple and powerful story.
“We can span longer than traditional lumber,” Smith said. “We can also carry a heavier load so that you don't have to have as many columns underneath. So that's better and cleaner sight lines and better livability under a raised deck.
“And also, the deck joists stay perfectly flat and perfectly straight, which means your deck boards stay perfectly flat and perfectly straight,” he added.
The team at PWT is benefiting from the same homebuilding trends as the rest of the decking industry. The outdoor living trend accelerated during the Covid pandemic, and hasn’t slowed down. And as deck boards from some of the biggest brands in decking continue to improve in quality, PWT observes that the quality of pressure treated lumber in general hasn’t kept up.
What’s new now, is that there’s a premium framing product to support all of the proliferation of premium deck boards. And the potential for PWT Treated LVL is huge, according to PWT.
“The reaction has been, ‘Finally.’” Smith said. “There are a lot of people who are saying, ‘Finally.’ We're giving them a product that they're happy to frame with.”
