WOOD DEFECTS

Wood Defects

A wood defect is simply an abnormality or irregularity found in wood

Defects may be responsible for:
i.Reducing wood’s economic value,
ii.Lowering its strength, durability and usefulness,
iii.Marring/ damage its appearance, and in some cases,
iv.Causing its decay

Types of Defects :
(a) Natural Defects.
(b) Defects caused by insects or fungal
(c) Defects caused by fire, and
(d)Defects caused by Manufacturing
NATURAL WOOD DEFECTS

Knot: A knot is the base of a branch or

limb that was broken or cut off from the
tree .
Shake: A lengthwise crack or
separation of the wood between the
growth rings .
Pitched Pocket: opening between
growth rings containing resin.
 Other Defects
1) Fungal: Non flowering Plants that contain no chlorophyll
(green pigment used to absorb light for photosynthesis)
It digests moist wood, causing it to rot. Sapwood is
more susceptible to fungal attack than heartwood.
2) Insects: Either use wood for food, a place to live, or
both.
3) Marine Borers: In salt water-destroys wood by boring
into and eating it.
4) Fire and Heat
5) Weathering(sun rays/ wind).
 Fungal
Conditions required for fungal attack
1. Moisture: Most fungi will not attack wood that
is below the FSP.
2. Temperature: Grow most rapidly between 21
and 32 degrees C. Killed by high temperatures
in kilns.
3. Oxygen: Need less than atmospheric amounts
but if moisture content is high enough - not
enough oxygen.
 Fungal Types
Wood-decay fungi can be classified according to
the type of decay that they cause

Wood decay fungi types:

 Brown rots fungi
 White rots fungi
 Soft rots fungi
 Brown-rot fungi
Brown-rot fungi: decompose
carbohydrates (cellulose- is the
substance that makes up most of a
plant's cell walls) and use them as
foods and leave lignin behind.
(Lignin is an organic substance
binding the cells, fibres and
vessels which constitute wood)

Wood loss as much as 70% of its

weight and all of its strength
 White-Rot fungal
White-rot fungi: Decompose
carbohydrates (sugar,
starch, cellulose) and
lignin or simultaneously
and infested wood
appears to be bleached.
 Soft Rot fungal
Soft-rot fungi: attacks moist
wood slowly resulting in a
spongy wood surface
 Fungal Attack
Preventing Fungal Attack
i. Keep wood dry
ii. Prevent contact with ground, concrete, or
stone.
iii.Treat with a toxic chemical
 Termites/(mchwa)
Condition required for termites attack
1)Moisture : They will bring it in
themselves if necessary.
2)Food: Prefer wood already attacked by
fungi but will attack sound wood.
3)Shelter: From exposure.
 Drywood Termites
Drywood Termites
Do not depend on liquid
water, they get water from
digesting wood.
Nest in dry wood.
They consume both
earlywood and latewood,
leaving only an empty
shell.
 Termites
Preventing Termite Attack
1.Avoid ground contact
2.Use termite shields and proper construction
techniques
3.Treat with toxic chemicals
4. infested lumber needs to be burned
5.Kiln dried (high temperature)
 Beetles (mende)
• The beetles larvae (young
insect) feed and reduce the
wood to a fine powder.
• The larvae can tunnel in the
wood for months or years
before they emerge as adult
beetles, so the damage can be
considerable before it is
noticed.
 Beetles
• If you see piles of very
fine sawdust on or
beneath wood, look for
small round or oval
"shot holes" in the wood
surface.
• This indicate that some of
the larvae have transformed
to adults and left the wood
 Beetles
Managing infestations
Moisture
o It is important to reduce excessive moisture in
humid situations
Kiln drying
o Kiln drying kills larvae within infested timber
Fumigation
o Fumigation may be necessary to control a powder-
post beetle infestation.
 Marine Borers
Bore tiny hole into wood
and as they grow, they
keep eating
longitudinally,
 Conditions Required for
Marine Borer Attack
Saltwater -
brackish water -having more salinity than
freshwater, but not as much as seawater.
Wood
Preventing Marine Borer Attack
1.Use naturally durable species
2.Treatment of wood
 Fire and Heat
 Wood starts to decompose at temperatures above
100 degrees C.
Conditions Required for Fire Damage
1. High temperature
2. Oxygen.
Preventing Fire Damage
1. Treat with a fire retardant
2. Keeps out oxygen.
 Wood preservation
Why wood preservation
To overcome environmental effects and insect
control
To increase life span of wood
To preserve and protect wood
To maintain natural resources of wood

GOOD FOR WOOD 20

 Types of wood preservation
1) Moisture and temperature control- Basic preservation

2) Drying of timber (kiln drying and air drying )

3) Chemical control

GOOD FOR WOOD 21

 Wood Preservative

Characteristics of wood preservatives

 Toxicity - poisonous to fungi and insects
 Penetration capacity-ability to penetrate into
wood cross section.
 Fixation capacity – chemically stable
 Retention capacity-Time to be active in wood
 Distribution in the wood
 Availability, Economical
 Eco friendly-
 Should not Leached into soil and water
GOOD FOR WOOD 22
 Tar oil Preservative
• Produced as distillate of coal tar
• Very effective against wide range of organisms
• Pressure-treated timber – service life of 30 -50
years – even in high hazard situations
• But odour, taint/(spoil) food – not suitable for
indoor use
• Treated wood cannot be painted, surface
becomes greasy
 Tar oil Preservative
Railway Sleepers Transmission Poles

S
 Organic solvent preservatives
• Biocidal (Insecticides or fungicides) dissolved
in organic solvent
• Solvent can be
– Oily type (heavy fuel oil)
– Medium heavy type (kerosene or petrol)
– Light type (white spirits)
 Organic solvent preservatives
• Used as pre-treatment of building timber
• Used as remedial treatment of wood in
buildings following fungal or insect
infestations
 Water Borne Preservatives
• Aqueous solutions of toxic salts
• They are odourless
• Leave the wood clean
• Wood can be paintable after treatment
 Treatment Methods
Non- Pressure Processes
i. Brush, ii. spraying, and iii. dip (immersion)

ii. Pressure Processes

1) Full cell
2) Empty cell
Treatment vessel
Treatment vessel