Fire retardant lumber is essential to creating a safe building and is a required building material for commercial buildings under many building codes and regulations. Fire retardant lumber can be used in any way that untreated wood is used and is workable with common woodworking tools. The major difference between the two types of wood is that fire retardant wood burns more slowly than the untreated wood products, which offers many safety benefits. For one, it gives occupants of a building more time to safely evacuate a building, which could ultimately save lives. Additionally, the wood's fire retardant capabilities can minimize fire damage because the fire can be detected and extinguished at an earlier stage.