Wood is a fantastic, renewable building material, whether it’s a modern CLT building, wooden trusses in a sports hall, or the roof trusses of a church tower . Maximizing the lifespan and stability of any timber structure depends on proper diagnosis, analysis, and design of suitable protection or reinforcement.
This type of damage occurs when the moisture content in the wood is too high (above 20%) for a prolonged period of time.
Wood rot (brown rot and white rot): In brown rot, fungi break down the cellulose, causing the wood to shrink, turn brown, and disintegrate into cubes (cube rot). White rot also breaks down the lignin, giving the wood a fibrous, light structure. Rot typically occurs at joints, butt joints, and supports in damp masonry.
Dry rot (Serpula lacrymans): The most feared fungus in buildings. This fungus can transport moisture to drier wood via its mycelium and even spread through masonry. It rapidly destroys the load-bearing capacity of the wood.
Another major culprit is wood-boring insects (such as the house longhorn beetle, woodworm, and death watch beetle). Their larvae spend years eating through the wood fibers. This can completely reduce the internal structure to powder and lose its load-bearing capacity, while the beam still appears intact on the outside.
In addition, physical and mechanical damage occurs because wood “works” under the influence of moisture. Uneven drying leads to longitudinal shrinkage cracks and deformations (such as warping). Although shrinkage cracks often look alarming, they rarely have a significant impact on stability. Extreme deformations can, however, weaken connections.
Finally, untreated exterior wood suffers from weathering and aesthetic damage. UV light and rain cause the familiar silver-gray discoloration. This is merely a natural, superficial process that does not affect the wood’s structural strength.
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