New products are enabling homeowners to get longer life from their wood-building projects.

For eons before there were decks, retaining walls and picnic tables, mankind used wood in prehistoric construction projects. Mother Nature made wood strong, attractive, plentiful and easy to modify. But when used outdoors, wood's natural enemies-insects, decay fungi and moisture-shorten the life of wood structures.

Technology has provided a defense against termites and rot with the development of pressure-treatment processes that inject preservative solutions deep into wood. Pressure-treated wood resists damage from wood-destroying organisms for decades, providing a long-lasting building material for backyard projects and reducing demand on forest resources.

Moisture has been a tougher problem for science to overcome. As with many other porous materials, wood swells when it gets wet and shrinks as it dries. This cycle of expansion and contraction leads to warping, cracking and premature aging. Even though the wood remains functional, its beauty deteriorates.

To counteract these effects, researchers developed surface water repellents for preventive maintenance. Applied by brush or sprayer, these products slow down the rate at which water is absorbed and released by wood. Dimensional change is reduced, as is surface degradation.

Water-Repellent Wood

In the past few years, home centers have introduced wood with inherent moisture protection. This lumber is pressure-treated with water repellent along with a preservative. The factory-applied, built-in protection gives certain species of wood deeper resistance to moisture damage. Intended specifically for applications where attractive appearance is desired, the water-repellent treatment is performed on higher grades of lumber.

While the built-in protection helps to prevent moisture damage, periodic application of a surface coating is still advised for maximum surface resistance.

For more information on preserved lumber, including recommendations on its safe use and handling, contact the American Wood Preservers Institute at 1-800-356-AWPI or visit the Web site at www.awpi.org.

[North American Precis Syndicate]

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