Preservative methods

Abstract

Wood can be protected against deterioration either by putting on a physical barrier, such as a layer of paint or varnish which, so long as it remains intact, prevents any destructive agency from reaching its surface; or by making conditions in the wood unsuitable for the development and growth of wood-destroying organisms. In the latter case such conditions may be achieved by purely physical means, such as keeping the wood dry, or else by chemical treatments which render it poisonous or indigestible to any pests. The term ‘wood preservation’ is generally used to imply the use of some chemical, or mixture of chemicals, which is poisonous to the wood-destroying organisms; but before describing these chemical methods, the purely physical means of preventing attack must be considered.