Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Pressure treated lumber questions

Good afternoon:

I am going to build some simple flower planters for the front porch and have a few questions abot working with pressure treated wood. The main one being should I wear a dust mask when sanding? I read someplace that the dust from PTL is harmful to us/me if inhaled..

The other question is can I put a protective finish on it after sanding?

I did this when I lived in Chicago and it looked great! The light green color really came out good when we applied several coats of poly. I tried it again a few years ago and I live in Atlanta, and the results were not soo good.. After about 6 months, all the finish started to peal off and then turned yellow. I sanded the heck out of the wood and it came out like crap.:wall:
Anyway, can you put a finish over pressure treated lumber that is available today and if so what prouct and how many coats?

Thanks and take care
Dan

I wouldn't use PT lumber for planter boxes. Wood and dirt don't mix -- the wood will rot. The chemicals used in the PT process aren't good for the plants or the soil, and sanding it is CERTAINLY not going to do your lungs any good, regardless of the mask.

Instead, use a composite deck board. No sanding or finishing is needed and there are no harmful chemicals to be concerned with.

I agree!
Your 2nd attempt at finishing PT wood was probably doomed because the wood was still wet from the PT process. PT wood can be finished pretty much like any other wood but all wood must be dry before any coating is applied.

Thanks guys!

Take care

Dan