Author Description

Oils and water repellents as wood treatments, often in combination with conventional wood preservatives, are beginning to attract more interest for practical applications in a variety of end-use markets for timber products where enhanced durability against wood-attacking organisms and good surface properties of the products are needed. They offer opportunities to increase the performance of wood products against biological and weathering agents without so much reliance on traditional wood-preserving chemicals, and thus can offer environmental benefits. Within the scope of the European COST Action E22 on 'Environmental optimisation of wood protection', a special seminar on 'Oils and water repellents in wood preservation' was held in Reinbek, Germany, on 9 November 2001, in order to review and update the state of the art with these newer products and processes.