USE OF ANTISTAIN CHEMICAL TREATMENTS BY THE WESTERN US SOFTWOOD LUMBER INDUSTRY, 1994

In the summer of 1995, a questionnaire designed to assess the use of a nti-stain chemicals was mailed to all producing members of the Western Wood Products Association. A response rate of 61 percent was obtained . Total softwood lumber production for 1994 reported by respondents am ounted to just under 6.4 billion board feet, or approximately 37 perce nt of total production in the western region. Only 21 of the 106 respo ndents used anti-stain treatments on lumber in 1994. The total Volume of lumber treated by these respondents was approximately 913 million b oard feet. Respondents also provided information regarding species tre ated, chemicals used, treatment methods used, and the acceptability of stain in specific market segments. Douglas-fir was the species treate d with anti-stain chemicals most often, with western hemlock next. The Kopcoat, Inc., chemical NP-1(R) was used most often, and dip tanks we re the most common method of treatment.