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Would treating the wood (presumably with chemicals you might not want inside your house) be enough to avoid the rot? Traditional wood houses in Scandinavia hav

by bertil 3y ago

Would treating the wood (presumably with chemicals you might not want inside your house) be enough to avoid the rot? Traditional wood houses in Scandinavia have tar and seem well preserved: is that usually enough, or did they survive because it’s so cold to six months a year that bugs don’t even try?

bluGill 3y ago
Houses survive because they tend to be dry enough that the wood doesn't rot. Let the roof fail and soon the rest of the house will rot away. Similar for let the siding on the outside fail and the house will soon rot away (not as fast as when the roof fails). Keep those in good shape though and the inside is dry enough that wood won't rot.
VHRanger 3y ago
Yes, treating wood does work, but what use to treat depends on the application. For instance railroad ties were treated with creosote or tar. Similar for the underground part of telephone poles. There was a Copper-Chromium-Arsenic mix also that would kill bugs and mold but is extremely toxic, so isn't EPA approved anymore. I would not want creosote or tar-treated wood in a house I live in, though. It's all toxic. In the exterior-treated SPF (think what we use in America for a deck or exterior staircase) there's a durability limit to the rot resistance. And the wood is tough to restore. Better woods (not necessarily old growth, just white pine or high quality cedar) are easier to restore. They also look nice, so people are more inclined to take care of them. In the end, nothing lasts forever without maintenance.
jnellis 3y ago
Sure temperature is big factor but water is always the enemy of wood, regardless of the treatment. You can slow it down with chemicals but bugs and microorganisms find a way if water is present. Humidity is water. Primers and paint do wonders against it. But the wood has to be dry first. Tar is pretty darn good at keeping out water but also good at trapping it in. Old growth and just 'old' wood is naturally termite resistant because wood gets harder as it ages and the bugs just don't like to chew on it, they will look elsewhere. You don't see many 60+ year old houses getting new termite infestations unless it was in areas of recent repair (fascia boards, brick moldings). But if it's wet, it's softer to chew. It's always comes down to water.
nf3 3y ago
Some species of wood are naturally resistant to rot: black locust, chestnut, cedar, cypres, Douglas fir. Other methods of preventing rot exist such as charring the end of a post before sticking it in the ground, protecting end grain from contact with water, etc.
hattmall 3y ago
Unless you have major water issues, like roof leaks or something where water is accumulating consistently up against wood. For example a deck that slopes toward the house or something, rot isn't really an issue. Termites can be an issue, but it's not super common.
not_the_fda 3y ago
Yep its called a [Permanent Wood Foundation](https://www.nachi.org/permanent-wood-foundations.htm https://www.nachi.org/permanent-wood-foundations.htm) I had a house with it, had no problems with it.

by bertil 3y ago

bluGill 3y ago

Houses survive because they tend to be dry enough that the wood doesn't rot. Let the roof fail and soon the rest of the house will rot away. Similar for let the siding on the outside fail and the house will soon rot away (not as fast as when the roof fails). Keep those in good shape though and the inside is dry enough that wood won't rot.

VHRanger 3y ago

Yes, treating wood does work, but what use to treat depends on the application. For instance railroad ties were treated with creosote or tar. Similar for the underground part of telephone poles. There was a Copper-Chromium-Arsenic mix also that would kill bugs and mold but is extremely toxic, so isn't EPA approved anymore. I would not want creosote or tar-treated wood in a house I live in, though. It's all toxic. In the exterior-treated SPF (think what we use in America for a deck or exterior staircase) there's a durability limit to the rot resistance. And the wood is tough to restore. Better woods (not necessarily old growth, just white pine or high quality cedar) are easier to restore. They also look nice, so people are more inclined to take care of them. In the end, nothing lasts forever without maintenance.

jnellis 3y ago

Sure temperature is big factor but water is always the enemy of wood, regardless of the treatment. You can slow it down with chemicals but bugs and microorganisms find a way if water is present. Humidity is water. Primers and paint do wonders against it. But the wood has to be dry first. Tar is pretty darn good at keeping out water but also good at trapping it in. Old growth and just 'old' wood is naturally termite resistant because wood gets harder as it ages and the bugs just don't like to chew on it, they will look elsewhere. You don't see many 60+ year old houses getting new termite infestations unless it was in areas of recent repair (fascia boards, brick moldings). But if it's wet, it's softer to chew. It's always comes down to water.

nf3 3y ago

Some species of wood are naturally resistant to rot: black locust, chestnut, cedar, cypres, Douglas fir. Other methods of preventing rot exist such as charring the end of a post before sticking it in the ground, protecting end grain from contact with water, etc.

hattmall 3y ago

Unless you have major water issues, like roof leaks or something where water is accumulating consistently up against wood. For example a deck that slopes toward the house or something, rot isn't really an issue. Termites can be an issue, but it's not super common.

not_the_fda 3y ago

Yep its called a [Permanent Wood Foundation](https://www.nachi.org/permanent-wood-foundations.htm https://www.nachi.org/permanent-wood-foundations.htm) I had a house with it, had no problems with it.