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  • What Are Antimicrobials?
  • Benefits
    • How Do They Help?
    • Preventing Disease Takes Good Chemistry
    • Increasing Sustainability Takes Good Chemistry
  • Uses
    • Where Are They Used?
    • Material Preservatives
      • Wood Products and Materials
      • Paints and Coatings
    • Household Products
    • Behind the Scenes
    • Public Spaces
      • Apartments & Hotels
      • Gyms
      • Hospitals & Healthcare Settings
      • Office Settings
      • Public Transportation Settings
      • School Settings
  • Oversight
    • How Are They Evaluated for Safety?
    • How They Are Regulated
    • Above & Beyond
  • Resources
  • Learn More
    • Bet You Didn’t Know
    • Surprising Facts
    • FAQs
    • About the Center for Biocide Chemistries
  • Contact Us

Wood Products and Materials

Antimicrobial Wood Preservatives Help Products Last Longer

Natural wood is prone to decay from fungal rot or decay, mold, sapstain, or wood-destroying insects. Antimicrobial preservatives are chemicals used to treat wood, helping prevent decay and ensure wood lasts longer, especially wood used outdoors. Fresh lumber is typically treated with wood-preserving chemistries, such as copper-based compounds or borates, before being used in construction or manufactured into new wood products. By helping wood last longer, wood preservatives help reduce the need to replace wood products, lowering the burden on forests and promoting sustainability. Like all other antimicrobial products, wood preservatives are evaluated and registered by the U.S. EPA before their use to help ensure no unreasonable risks to human health or the environment.

Relaxing on wooden deck

Applications Across Wood-Based Industries & Products

Homes & Furnishings

Patio Furniture

Treated wood is an essential material for various components of our homes and properties, including house and window frames, decks, chairs, picnic tables, and fencing. Treated wood helps resist decay, helping homeowners avoid costly replacements.

Docks & Marinas

Marina

Treated wood is commonly used to build piers, docks, and marina structures. The marine environment is harsh, and wood is susceptible to marine borers, insects, and fungal decay. In such an open environment, untreated wood will last only a few years, but treatment can extend wood’s life significantly.

Railroads

railroad

More than 150,000 miles of railway tracks in the United States are bound with wooden railroad ties. In fact, more than 90 to 93% of railroad ties are wooden ties because wood provides the natural flexibility that is needed for railroad function. Ties treated with wood preservatives can remain functional and in use for over 50 years compared to untreated wooden ties that last five years or less.

Utility Poles

powerlines

Utility poles made from treated wood allow poles to stand up to harsh weather conditions, insects, fungi, and other destructive elements. Wooden poles have a lower carbon footprint during production and lower cost than other materials. Wood preservatives help extend the lifespan of utility poles, reducing replacement frequency and promoting the overall sustainability of choosing wooden utility poles.

Antimicrobial Benefits to Economic & Environmental Sustainability

Up

Extends life cycle of lumber materials

Wood

Helps products remain productive for a longer duration

Manufacturing

Reduces need for unnecessary manufacturing

Timber

Decreases consumption of timber resources

Safe

Reduces safety risks of products collapsing or breaking

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