Knowra Wood preservation Wood preservation Wood preservation uses treatments and design practices to slow deterioration caused by fungi, insects, moisture, and weathering. It extends wood’s service life in buildings, infrastructure, and other uses.
Wood preservative : A chemical or formulation applied to wood to protect it from decay organisms or insects. Preservatives protect wood by making it toxic to pests or less accessible to them.
Ground contact : A service condition in which wood touches soil or remains persistently wet near the ground. Wood in ground contact faces sustained moisture and biological attack, requiring robust protection.
Creosote : A complex mixture of chemicals derived from coal tar or wood tar, historically used as a wood preservative. Creosote is a durable treatment mainly associated with heavy-duty exterior and industrial uses.
Biocide : A substance or microorganism that controls, deters, or destroys harmful organisms. Many preservative formulations work by controlling wood-destroying organisms with biocidal chemicals.
Wood anatomy : The microscopic and macroscopic structure of wood, including its cells, growth rings, and conducting tissues. Anatomy governs preservative penetration and the untreated zones that may remain vulnerable.
Pressure treatment : A process that forces preservative into wood under pressure in a sealed cylinder. Pressure drives preservatives deeper into wood than ordinary surface application.
Marine borer : A marine invertebrate, such as a shipworm or gribble, that tunnels into submerged wood. Submerged structures need protection against organisms that ordinary terrestrial treatments may not control.
Chromated copper arsenate : A waterborne wood preservative containing chromium, copper, and arsenic compounds. CCA represents a highly effective treatment whose residential uses became restricted in several countries.
Environmental fate : The movement, transformation, and persistence of a substance in the environment. Preservative chemicals can migrate from treated wood into soil or water.
Sapwood : The outer, physiologically active portion of a tree’s wood that conducts water and minerals. Sapwood is often more permeable to preservatives than heartwood.
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