Wood Preservative Chemicals
Wood preservative products are those that control wood degradation problems due wood-destroying insects, molds, to fungal rot, decay or sapstain.


Treated wood is most commonly used outdoors
Not only the treatment of wood but also the use of treated products can pose risks to human health and the environment.
There are 3 types of chemical wood preservatives:
- Non-penetration surface protection (< 1 mm):
Coating and spraying methods
- Edge protection Penetration of a few millimetres:
Trough impregnation, floods, spray tunneling - Deep protection Penetration from several millimetres to centimetres:
boiler pressure method and hot-cold setting method.

Wood preservatives
Wood preservatives belong to biocidal products. They chemically protect wood from wood-destroying and wood-colouring organisms by means of biocidal agents. Some wood preservatives also protect against weathering influences.
Source: https://www.bafu.admin.ch
Products
Paints are either water-based (acrylic) or solvent-based (alkyd). These are varnishes, glazes and base coatings.
The acrylic products can be diluted with water and the paint materials can be cleaned with water. They can also and can only be coated with an acrylic product.
For example, alkyd products can be diluted with turpentine substitutes to clean paint materials. They can be coated with alkyd or acrylic products.
Basic coatings or impregnations
They form a barrier layer on untreated wood, making the substrate less absorbent and the top coat more even and stable. For outdoor use, these coatings often contain biocidal agents.
Glazes
They can be applied on a base coat. They allow the wood grain to shine through. They are water-repellent and thus protect the wood from moisture.
Combination glazes (2 in 1; primer and glaze) and basic coatings suitable for glazes often contain biocidal agents.
Oil coatings
They penetrate deep into wood and give it a shine. They protect it from moisture and dirt. They can be applied directly to untreated wood.
They do not normally contain biocidal active substances.
Waxes
They can be applied to untreated wood and generally do not contain biocidal agents. They are susceptible to water stains and are therefore only recommended for indoor use.
Staining
Although it changes the colour of the wood, it does not protect it in any way.
Non-biocidal products
To protect against the elements and to change colour, used wood can be treated with a variety of biocide-free products. These products protect the wood physically and/or mechanically and do not contain any active ingredients for killing insects (insecticides) or fungi (fungicides).
Wood finishing agents are used for wood that is not directly exposed to the weather and protect the wood from stains, dirt and dust.
Weather protection agents are used for wood that is directly exposed to the weather and protect it from weather influences such as wetness and UV rays.
Glazing agents/wood solidifying agents irreversibly solidify the wood by a process of crystallization (silicification) and mechanically and physically protect it against fungal or insect infestation.
Identifying a product as a weather protection agent, a wood refinement agent or a glazing agent can be difficult because it is often not clear which products contain biocidal active substances (wood preservatives) and which do not (weather protection agents, wood refinements and glazing agents).
Products without biocidal active substances can be recognised by labels such as “biocide-free” or “low-pollutant”.
Wood preservatives contain biocidal active substances and can be recognised by labels such as “Protection against blues, fungi and rot” or “Protection against wood-colouring fungi (blues), wood-destroying fungi (rot) and animal pests (insects)”.
Biocidal agents are often present in basic coatings/impregnations or “2 in 1” products for outdoor use. However, they may also be present in other products.

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