Over-the-counter preservatives: their ability to protect western woods from fungal attack through soil contact

Homeowners often use untreated wood in areas where decay is likely and provide supplemental protection through brush or dip application of a variety of commercially available preservatives. The efficacy of these preservatives was assessed on five wood species in soil-block and fungus-cellar trials, the latter conducted for 2 years. Preservative treatments improved performance of most species except lodgepole pine; the effects were most noticeable in fungus-cellar trials with redwood and western redcedar. The results suggest that topical application of commercially available preservatives has merit for enhancing the performance of naturally durable woods in soil contact, but its value for less durable woods is questionable.

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