WPA investigates early failure of preservative treated gate posts ​

When four square sawn preservative treated softwood gate posts, installed in mid-2021, started to decay prematurely, the Association of Fencing Industries (AFI) contractor who installed them asked the Wood Protection Association (WPA) to investigate what went wrong.

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These large cross section posts were set 600mm deep and held in place by concrete. They supported field gates and the contractor confirmed that they were intended to achieve the 15-year service life specified in the wood preservation code of practice, and BS8417 for preservative impregnated wood in Use Class 4 (direct ground contact) conditions.

“In any discussion about the performance of pre-treated wood, preservative efficacy is often the only topic of conversation,” says WPA Chairman Steve Young. “The reality is far more complex - well documented factory production controls are essential - and pre-conditioning, preservative impregnation or wood modification plant and equipment manufacturers have a vital role to play as a wood protection formulation is only as effective as the plant designed to use it.”  

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​In this article, the WPA turns the spotlight on two member businesses that are internationally reknown for their wood protection engineering expertise -Timber Treatment Solutions (TTS), based in the UK and Wood Treatment Technologies (WTT) based in Denmark.

Why joiner manufacturers may unknowingly be wasting paint 

​Paint costs are a significant part of finishing budgets for joinery manufacturers. And many businesses are looking for ways to improve efficiency without compromising finish quality or long-term performance.

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One area which is often overlooked is paint consumption during application. In practice, many manufacturers are using more paint than is required, without questioning it.​

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In this blog, WPA member Teknos explains the technicalities of this issue: