The Broader Aspects of Wood Preservation with Particular Reference to Creosote

The first practical steps to prevent the destruction of wood were taken over 100 years ago; modern wood preservation got its start about 75 years ago when we learned to force coal tar creosote into wood under pressure. Creosote proved effective against all three agents of destruction– fungi, insects, and marine borers–and also proved permanent, available at low cost and with low toxicity to humans and animals. Major users of treated wood are the essential transportation, communication, power, shipping, mining, building, and farming industries. The locations of the 300 wood preserving plants in the United States in 1949 are shown on a map. Consumption of preservatives in 1949 is listed; creosote comprised 92.89 percent of the preservatives used, based on relative volumes of wood treated. During 1949, the imports of creosote amounted to 16 percent of the total consumed. In the past, national emergencies have effected creosote supplies with respect to shortages in fuel oil supplies and difficulty in shipping; these factors bear watching in the present emergency.

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