Can you stain treated lumber? Will it look the same as untreated
lumber? This matchbox car holder I am making the outside frame is from
soem old treated lumber. (It looks green kind of).

The slats inside it the cars sit on are untreated.

Would this look bad with a light stain or would it be better to paint?

Can you stain treated lumber?

You could, I guess, but I wouldn't want to use treated lumber for
anything indoors, or anything that will be used by kids. This is a
matchbox car holder? Definitely get some different lumber. Old
treated lumber (made about 2003 or earlier) was treated with arsenic to
keep fungi and other wood-eating critters from eating the wood.
However, arsenic is obviously bad for people too - do you really want
your kid playing with this stuff?
Spend the $1.50 to buy yourself a brand new, un-treated 2x4, and stain
'til your heart's content.
Andy

On 7 Feb 2006 05:24:04 -0800, "stryped" wrote:

Can you stain treated lumber? Will it look the same as untreated
lumber? This matchbox car holder I am making the outside frame is from
soem old treated lumber. (It looks green kind of).

The slats inside it the cars sit on are untreated.

Would this look bad with a light stain or would it be better to paint?

PT lumber should not be used indoors. Perhaps there is one
exception--the base frame for a wall that will sit on a basement
concrete floor. Old PT lumber may contain arsenic compounds.