Protecting timber

Abstract

In order to ensure that timber components continue to function as intended over the long-term, the initial focus should be on constructional, material, and processing measures. Where necessary, these measures should be backed up by suitable surface treatments or pressure impregnation. In heated interiors, however, such chemical preservation measures are unnecessary, provided the building physics requirements are satisfied but chemical preservation treatments cannot compensate for any shortcomings here. And in other situations as well, the need for chemical preservatives must be checked on a case-by-case basis. They are mostly needed for components installed in the open air and therefore exposed to the rigours of the weather, or for timber members in contact with the ground. Other factors to be considered are the geographical location of the site and the local climate. In dry areas, e.g. elevated regions with an Alpine climate, moisture affects the outside of a building much less than in regions where foggy and misty conditions prevail. Generally speaking, as constructional, passive protection options (design, details) decrease, so the problems and hence the risks increase. The less protection a component has, the more important are measures such as choice of material or type of conversion.