As a log homeowner, it is important to understand a few basic facts about wood in order to keep your home properly maintained and to avoid costly future repairs. Your maintenance decisions should be based on an understanding of the factors that are harmful to wood. So let us begin our inquiry by focusing our attention on the stuff that dream homes are made of … wood.

What is wood?
Wood is a cellular material that makes up the bulk of the tree. It is like a sponge composed of mainly dead hollow cells. This cellular structure is what gives it its insulating value and allows it to hold water, oxygen, and nutrients. Wood, when reduced to its simplest components, is made up of:

- 40-50% cellulose — it is a complex molecular structure that when broken down yields the simple sugar glucose.

- 20-35% Hemi-cellulose — closely related to cellulose, but includes more than one type of sugar.

- 15-30% lignin — an intercellular material; “the glue” that bonds the wood fibers (cellulose and hemi-cellulose) together.
Various extractives are also present which are located in cell cavities. They are oils, tannins, waxes, gums, starches, alkaloids, color materials and 1 to 2% ash forming minerals. These extractives contribute to woods color, odor, taste, decay resistance and flammability.

Basically, when wood is broken down into its elemental state, it’s composed of mostly simple sugars. It is these sugars that a group of organisms called fungi use as a food source. Fungi are a leading destroyer of wood and cause a considerable amount of economic damage. The key to a sound maintenance approach centers on a better understanding of these organisms and how to prevent their occurrence. This sections content was provided by The Continental Products Company.