Avast Ye Salty Dogs: Salt damage in the context of coastal residential construction and historical maritime timbers

Grant T. Kirker; Samuel L. Zelinka; Leandro Passarini

Treesearch

Avast Ye Salty Dogs: Salt damage in the context of coastal residential construction and historical maritime timbers

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Grant T. Kirker, Samuel L. Zelinka, Leandro Passarini

Year:

2016

Type:

Paper

Station:

Forest Products Laboratory

Source:

2016 Proceedings of the American Wood Protection Association. American Wood Protection Association: 179-185.

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Download (PDF 2.55 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/53860.pdf

Abstract

Salt damage is a frequent problem in wood exposed to seawater and other saline environments. Symptoms of salt damage are often referred to as fuzzy wood and have been historically considered non-structural damage, but a growing number of customer inquiries have prompted a re-evaluation of this phenomenon. This paper details several case studies involving salt damage, discusses current knowledge on the underlying mechanisms and highlights on-going work at the Forest Products Laboratory to investigate the causes and effects of salt on wood. A better understanding of the salt damage process will eventually lead to remedial treatment options.

Keywords

Salt damage, tracheid defibration, coastal construction, historic ships, wood preservation

Citation

Kirker, Grant T.; Zelinka, Samuel L.; Passarini, Leandro. 2016. Avast Ye Salty Dogs: Salt damage in the context of coastal residential construction and historical maritime timbers. In: 2016 Proceedings of the American Wood Protection Association. American Wood Protection Association: 179-185.