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But the desk is also treated with various things so it doesn't rot, isn't it? And woodbugs still eat old furniture.
by riffraff 4y ago
But the desk is also treated with various things so it doesn't rot, isn't it?
And woodbugs still eat old furniture.
- bdamm 4y agoWood generally doesn't rot unless it gets wet. Wood is typically treated so that if it gets wet there is a mechanism to prevent fungi from eating it. Painting it, for example, causes the water to slide off the wood before the underlying wood can get wet. But even a tiny puncture of that paint will expose the wood to rot causing fungi that float in the air everywhere. Most wood already has rot causing fungi inside of it, all you need to do to activate it is add water. Woodbugs are another water loving creature. No water, no problem. Dry old furniture can last a millenia.
- dom96 4y agoI've got a balcony who's floor is made out of wooden planks. It was varnished at some point, but the varnish is damaged in many places, how long before the wood degrades completely and is unsafe to stand on?
- bdamm 4y agoUsually the planks under a balcony are protected by the balcony itself, so they remain fairly dry, especially if there are drip flashings that redirect rain drips and rivulets away. Or, they may be pressure treated wood, in which case it's likely to outlast the building whether it gets wet or not. There might be a fascia board that is designed to take the rain and rot away, separated from the structural beams by a flashing, vapor barrier, standoffs, hidden paint/stain, or nothing!
- bamboozled 4y agoOften the wood is treated with polyurethane...plastic.
- wyago 4y agoTreated wood isn't really used for indoor furniture. It's for wood that would be exposed to a lot of moisture, e.g. wooden decks.