Why Treat Wood?
Deterioration of wood in use is commonly caused by decay fungi, certain insects (including termites and carpenter ants), other organisms (marine borers), and weathering. Of these, decay fungi cause the greatest damage to wood in service. Decay fungi, or wood rotters, are lower forms of plant life related to mushrooms, rusts, molds, and mildews. Wood rotters grow throughout the wood in threadlike strands digesting cellulose and other components for food. In the early stages, this causes a large loss of strength and eventually results in soft, crumbly, punky wood. In the advanced stages, fruiting bodies or conks may grow out of the wood releasing hundreds of thousands of tiny spores (similar to seeds) to the atmosphere. Because of the tremendous number of spores present in the soil and air, no wood is safe from decay if the proper growing conditions are present. Four conditions must be favorable for the spores to germinate and grow. These are: • Heat (20- 35C or 68- 95F optimum) • Moistu
