Wood Treatment

This wood treatment article is from the Wood Protection Association website

Timber is a great material but when used where it could rot, be infested with insects, wood boring beetles, woodworm, termites or wood rotting fungi, it should be treated – become treated timber – to improve its durability by putting it through a wood treatment plant and treating it with water based preservatives, copper organic preservatives, creosote preservative, organic solvent preservative, microemulsion preservative or some other preservative. It is often good to protect wood more by applying coatings and coatings can be applied by dipping and immersion or brush or spraying. This is wood preservation through wood treatment.

Whether you are making a fence, a roof, a timber frame house, a jetty, a cooling tower, installing joists or a fence post or a pole for telephone lines or electricity lines, use treated timber. Timber should be dried or seasoned before wood treatment. The sapwood and heartwood of timber may need treating with preservatives and these should be tested against rot and insects including termites. Wood can also burn so it may need to be protected with fire retardants or flame retardants. Finally get the correct treatment of timber with preservatives, coatings, fire retardants or coatings by referring to standards or specifications.


Preserving confidence in timber in changing times
Since its formation in 1930, the BWPDA has represented and supported the preservation industry and in 2003, to help focus support on pretreatment activities, the association formed a new membership division, The Wood Protection Association. This is a timely development coming as the use of pre-treated timber in the UK is increasing, reflecting growing consumer confidence in durability of wood for example in wood windows, timber frame housing, decking and garden timber structures. The industry, represented by the Wood Protection Association, places quality and safety at the core of its business values but several new developments in standards and regulations mean adjustment of business practices to the changes without losing focus on those core values.
 

For more about wood protection visit the Wood Protection Association

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