Western white spruce poles, pressure treated with pentachlorophenol and ammoniacal copper arsenate (ACA) were installed in the Westham Island test site. The pentachlorophenol treated poles were unkerfed, while both unkerfed and kerfed ACA poles were placed in test. The checking and kerf width and depth were recorded at the time of installation. After ten years of weathering the checking characteristics of the poles was evaluated. The check depth and width in the kerfed poles was significantly less than that in the unkerfed material. The average depth of the deepest check in the kerfed poles was ca. 43 mm while that in the unkerfed ACA poles was 92 mm. Kerfing also reduced the degree of secondary checking in the poles.

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