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Hart Brand

Quality, Service and Integrity


Phone 1-800-533-2107
Fax 1-608-568-3884

Treated Quality

Quality In Treated Wood Products

Hart Brand Pressure Treated Wood Products have been subjected to high quality standards for nearly 40 years. Since 1990 we have invested in a quality assurance program. Inspectors regularly subject all of our treated products to laboratory analysis and reject for shipment any material that fails to meet quality of treatment standards set by the American Wood Preservers Association (AWPA). An agency is also qualified to inspect and approve treated products for use on state, federal and municipal projects.

Quality of Treatment is based on 2 factors:

1) Depth of penetration

2) Concentration of the preservative chemical

Item #2 is known as retention and is commonly listed in tenths of pounds per cubic foot of wood.

Before a core sample of treated material is analyzed for retention, it must first meet or exceed the criteria for depth of penetration.

AWPA Standard C-S Fencepost requires depth of 2 inches or 85% of the sapwood, or treatable portion of the wood.

Because they are either fully seasoned or kiln dried prior to treatment, the absence of water in the wood means that Hart Brand products regularly meet or exceed the penetration standard. The heavier, darker oil component of the treating solution tends to penetrate the outer growth rings, while the lighter oils continue to migrate toward the heartwood for up to six weeks after treatment.

Once the inspector is assured that depth of penetration is acceptable he proceeds to perform a lab analysis on the core samples to determine retention.

The preservative treatment used in Hart Brand products is Pentachlorophenol dissolved in oil. Penta is the preservative chemical and oil is the carrier with which the preservative is pressed into the wood. We feel that Penta in Oil is the superior treatment for commercial and farm use, as opposed to water borne preservative treatments, because the oil itself imparts durability characteristics to the finished product.

Hart Brand retention figures are listed in tenths of pounds of pure Penta per cubic foot of wood.

The AWPA standard requires .4 pounds per cubic foot.

Since 1990, Hart Brand retention figures have exceeded the standard by approximately 15%.

Without regular and qualified inspection and analysis, it is impossible to judge quality of treatment in wood products. You will discover many facts, figures, and standards recklessly thrown around the marketplace, and it is critical that the purchaser of treated wood products understands what defines quality and how it is measured.

25 Year Limited Warranty

Mississippi Valley Forest Products, Inc. (MVFP) warrants to the original owner of the real estate upon which this product is used or to the original owner of any personal property into which this product is incorporated, that for twenty-five (25) years from the date of purchase, the pressure treated wood product (MVFP Wood) will be free from such decay or termite damage as would make the MVFP Wood structurally unfit for the purpose for which it was used. Only wood bearing the MVFP date stamp is covered by this warranty.

MVFP’s only obligation under this warranty shall be to replace such quantity of MVFP Wood proven to have become structurally unfit for its intended purpose. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER ANY REMOVAL, INSTALLATION, REINSTALLATION OR FREIGHT COSTS. THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER WARPING, SPLITTING, TWISTING, CHECKING OR OTHER CHANGES IN THE SHAPE OF THE WOOD.

THIS WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. MVFP SHALL NOT BE LIABLE OR RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE OR LIABILITY, DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL, ARISING OUT OF THE SALE, USE OR MISUSE OF, OR THE INABILITY TO USE, ITS PRODUCTS. THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES WHICH EXTEND BEYOND THE DESCRIPTION ON THE FACE HEREOF.

This warranty is extended only to the original owner of the real estate upon which MVFP Wood is used or to the original owner of any personal property into which MVFP Wood is incorporated. This warranty is not transferable to any future owner of real estate or such personal property. NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE SHALL EXTEND BEYOND THE TWENTY-FIVE (25) YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD DESCRIBED HEREIN. Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts or the exclusion or limitations of incidental damages, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you.

The owner to whom this warranty is extended agrees to notify MVFP in writing at the following address: P.O. Box 1250, Dubuque, Iowa 52004, within ninety (90) days of first learning of a possible defect in the MVFP Wood which may lead to a claim under this warranty. The owner must give MVFP this notice before MVFP shall have any obligation under this warranty. MVFP, within 60 days of validation of claim under this warranty, will arrange to exchange the damaged wood for new wood of the same type. Original owner must present to MVFP the original invoice showing date and specified amount of MVFP Wood purchased and the wood bearing the MVFP date stamps and logos to equal the amount of MVFP Wood claimed to be damaged. When making any warranty claim, you may be required to send photographs and sections of damaged wood. In addition, MVFP reserves the right to have a representative inspect and test all wood claimed to be damaged in its original installation.

The owner to whom this warranty is extended must file any action against MVFP to enforce this warranty within one (1) year of first discovering any defect in the MVFP Wood upon which such action is based, and allow MVFP or its representatives to inspect and test the wood in its original installation.

With the exception of above-ground fence boards cut to length at the time of installation, this warranty does not cover any MVFP Wood that has been cut or fabricated after treatment by MVFP.

The warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you also may have other rights which vary from state to state.