Wood Preservation, certain types of wood must be preserved to prevent attacks by insects/organisms or wood-destroying fungi. What is meant by preservation is inserting chemicals into the wood (pores) so that it penetrates the surface of the wood several mm thick into the flesh of the wood.
Preservation aims to increase the useful life of wood, especially wood used for building materials or for outdoor furniture.
Wood is categorized into several durable classes.
- Durable class I (very durable), for example: Teak wood, Sonokeling
- Durable class II (durable), for example: Merbau wood, Mahogany
- Durable class III (less durable), for example: Rubber wood, Pine
- Durable class IV (not durable), for example: Albasia wood
- Durable class V (very not durable)
With the level of durability mentioned above, only Durable Classes III, IV and V need to be preserved. For certain purposes, the sapwood of durable grades I & II also needs to be preserved.
Preserved wood will be resistant to insect attack and wood fungus even if the wood is placed outdoors.
Preservatives whose core content is in the form of powder have various types. The material is mixed with water at a certain level of mixture (see SNI-3233-1992) and the method of preservation varies.
Borax is one of the materials used to preserve wood from the vacuum method, cold immersion, hot immersion (boiled) to polishing methods.
Preventive measure
However, in relation to the environment and user health, wood preservation in furniture should pay attention to the following:
- Do not do wood preservation if the furniture product you are going to produce has direct contact with food, for example: plates, food racks, etc. Chemical preservatives will adversely affect the health of consumers.
- Do not preserve the wood that will be used for the table top.
- Use preservatives, if possible, only in areas that are easily visible such as wooden floors, decking and wall panels.
- Avoid using preserved wood for construction that has the potential to come into direct contact with drinking water and clean water, such as bridge structures.
- Dispose of the remains of preserved wood by means of burial or ordinary garbage. Do not burn or use for burning stoves, heating fires because the fumes containing chemicals can turn into smoke.
- Avoid yourself from sawdust or too much sandpaper, use an adequate mask.
- Especially for those of you who work in the area of wood preservation and/or who are in direct contact with these chemicals, wash your hands and body parts until they are completely clean before eating or drinking.
- If the clothes you wear are likely to be exposed to chemical splashes or dust and other means of contamination, separate them from others when washing. Wood Preservation