Organism that Degrade Wood

A. Fungi
 Molds – superficial
 Stains
 Decay

Four Essential Conditions for Fungi to exist

 Food
 Proper temperature range (5oC to 40oC)
 Moisture (above the FSP, fiber saturation point)
 Oxygen (air)

Construction Procedures that limit Decay in Building include:

1. Building with dry lumber that is free of incipient decay and excessive amounts of strains and
molds.
2. Using designs that keep the wood components dry and using wood treatment with
preservatives
3. Using heartwood for decay resistant species in sections exposed to above ground decay hazards.
4. Using pressure treated wood for components in contact with the ground.

B. Bacteria

Bacteria cause “wet wood” and “black heartwood” in living trees and a general
degradation of lumber.

Wet wood is a water soaked condition that affects the stem center of living trees.

Black heartwood causes the center of the stem to turn dark brown or black.

Bacterial growth is sometimes fostered by prolonged storage in contact with soil. This
type of bacteria activity produces a softening of the outer wood layer, which results in excessive
shrinkage when dried.

C. Insects
1. Beetles
 Bark beetles
 Powder pest beetles (bok bok)
2. Termites (white ants)
3. Marine borders – “ship worm” teredo, ship worm bankia, pholadidae, limnoria “wood lonse”
4. Carpenter ants
Wood Preservation

Principal types of Preservatives

1. Paints
2. Petroleum – based solutions
3. Water born oxides (salts)

The degree of preservation achieved depends on the type of preservatives, degree of

penetration and amount of chemical retained within the wood

Petroleum – based Solutions

Coal – tan creosote, petroleum creosote, creosote solutions pentachlorophenol solution.

- Very effective but environmentally sensitive

- Used for poles, rail road ties and retaining wall.

Water borne preservatives (salts)

- Ammonia cal copper arsenate, chromate copper arsenate and ammoniacal copper zinc
arsenate
- The advantages of these preservatives over the oil – based are cleanliness and its
stability to be painted.
- The disadvantage of their removal by leaching when exposed to moist condition for a
long period of time

Application Techniques
a. Superficial Treatment = painting, spraying or immersion
b. Fluid Penetration Process = pressure process
- Full – cell process
- Empty cell process

Wood Production

1. Dimensional lumber = rough lumber and s4s (ex. 2x2, 2x3, 2x4,…., 2x12)
2. Heavy timber = (4x6, 6x6, 8x8)
3. Round stock = posts, poles, marine filling and utility poles
4. Engineered wood =plywood, glulam, wood I – joist
 5. Specialty items = mouldings, cornices, handrails, balusters, etc.

Sawn Wood Production include the following steps

 Sawing into desired shapes

 Seasoning
 Surfacing
 Grading
o Visual grading
o Machine grading
 Treating with preservatives

Engineered wood products

Four categories

1. Wood structural = stranded panel, including plywood, oriented – strand boards and composite
panels
2. Glue laminated timber (glulam)
3. Structural composite lumber, including primary laminated veneer lumber, parallel strand. These
products have the dimensions of sawn wood dimensional lumber.
4. Wood I –joist

Quality and Serviceability of Glue – wood products principally depends on

1. Gluing properties and preparation of the wood used

2. Type of adhesive
3. Quality control employed in the gluing process
4. Conditions under which they are used.

Adhesive Used

Natural Adhesives
Casein, vegetable protein (soyabeans) and blood protein glues

Synthetic Adhesives
Phenol, urea, resorcinol, polyvinyl and epoxy resins

Glue Laminated Timbers

- Composed of two or more wood layers glued together with the grain of all layers parallel.
- Used for beams, columns, furniture, sports equipment and decorative wood finishes
Factors that affect the strength of laminated timbers

= cross grain, knots and effect of end joining

Plywood = Is composed of sheets of wood, called plies, that are glued together. The grain directions of
the adjacent plies are at right angles to each other.

Particle boards and strand boards:

particle boards consist of saw dust sized particles glued together in a dense matrix(lawanit)

strand board is made from flat chips glued together with a random orientation.