It's important to treat timber properly to ensure it has a good lifespan. There's no reason why timber shouldn't last for decades once it's in place. But, just like any other building material, timber is susceptible to the elements. If left untreated it won't provide a stable material to support structures.
In this article we'll go over the steps you can take to guarantee a good life span for your timber. Depending on what the timber is being used for you can treat it yourself. For things like garden furniture, sheds, fences etc, treating the timber is just a weekend job. However, for larger building constructions, professional work will need to be carried out.
If your timber will be used to structure an entire building around, it will need to be properly treated. Once the building is relying on the timber to stay up; you can't take it down to re-treat it if it starts to crumble. If you are unfortunate enough to have a building with timber that's crumbling; it's going to cost a lot to fix. You're better off doing it properly in the first place.
There are different types of chemicals that can be used to treat timber. Sodium Silicate is a great chemical due to its protective properties. Not only does it preserve the wood from insects, it also offers some flame-retardant properties. These properties make it an ideal substance for extending the lifespan of your timber.
Insect Attacks
One of the main causes of wood rot is that from insects. Woodworm love making their homes in timber, and why not? Large timber structures are often inside warm insulated buildings. It's the perfect place for a home. But as hospitable as you may be; insects will destroy your timber and leave you with a damaged structure.
A woodworm treatment will give adequate protection. You can also protect the timber wet rot and dry rot treatment. Most products will offer both types of protection in one.
Water Attacks
When the water gets into your timber; you've got a problem. As soon as the temperature becomes cold enough for the water to freeze; it will expand into ice. As the ice expands it will bring the timber breaking away with it.
By protecting the timber with the wood treatments you can waterproof the wood. This will stop any water or moisture from getting into the timber in the first place.
These basic precautions need to be undertaken before using timber for any type of structure. Untreated timber won't last for long and will soon become unstable and useless.
About the Author:Nicola Ellison, an SEO and Online Marketing specialist. Based in Bristol, UK.
