The Fencing Bloke: your local expert in fencing supply and fencing installation. We are suppliers and approved fencing installers for Jacksons Fencing products. Read our article on timber and whether to treat or not to treat now…
Timber – to treat or not to treat?
Wood is an organic material employed in a variety of applications. Timber which is to be used outdoors – especially that that is destined to come into contact with the ground, water, or otherwise exposed to the elements, requires some form of preservation treatment to protect it. Indeed, any softwood timber enjoys an extended life span with timber preservation treatment. If in doubt, treat your timber!
The factors that influence the successful treatment of timber
Certain critical factors impact upon the efficacy of a preservation treatment:
Species
Not all tree species have the right physiology to render them suitable for timber treatment.
Corsican pine, Radiata pine, Southern yellow pine and some Scots pine are ideal softwoods with a physical make-up that allows for a successful, consistent penetration of timber preservative through the sapwood into the heartwood.
Spruce (or Whitewood) is not suitable for applications where the wood will come into contact with the ground, as it does not offer a consistent response to treatment. The tree’s cell structure makes it difficult for preservative to permeate evenly throughout the sapwood.
Timber Selection
The intended use of the timber must be taken into consideration when establishing the correct amount of preservative to deliver optimum protection. Some applications dictate that the timber selected should have a minimal amount of heartwood to ensure the preservative penetrates sufficiently.
Moisture Content
Preservative can either be applied by dipping or brushing (which only treat the surface), or via a pressure system to enable deep penetration of the preservative right through the outer sapwood into the heartwood. For pressure treatment to be successful the timber must first be thoroughly dry. The only way to dry wood effectively and consistently is to use a kiln to force hot air through the timber at a controlled temperature and humidity until its moisture content is less than 28%.
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