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Under proper conditions, wood can provide centuries of service. However, wood must be protected from wood-degrading organisms. The organisms that can degrade wood are principally fungi, insects, bacteria, and marine borers.
Chemical stains, although they are not caused by organisms, are mentioned in this course, since they resemble the stains caused by fungi. Wood must also be protected from destructive insects. Termites are the major wood destroying insect, but on a national scale, they do less damage than fungi.
Wood biodeterioration has been studied extensively. This course introduces highlights of some of those studies along with some of the most well-known and widely practiced protective measures.
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