DEFECTS

Timber is a natural product and is usually not free from imperfections. A 'defect' is generally an imperfection, which either weakens the wood greatly or makes the wood unsuitable to work with for the purpose it is

to be used.

DEFECTS
There are 2 sources of defects in timber: (1) natural defects and; (2) defects which arise once the tree is cut down, either through poor handling or poor seasoning of the tree.

DEFECTS
Defects in timber could occur during the tree's growth, its felling and storage at the timber mill or during seasoning. These defects may have a serious effect on the strength of the timber or may only cause a problem with appearance. During use a number of agencies can degrade the wood. The most common of these are fungi that causes rotting, insect attack, weathering or fire.

DEFECTS
KNOTS

Live knots, on the other hand, remain tightly connected to the surrounding fibers.

'Knots' are probably the most

common defect in timber. Knots occur where a branch has grown out of the trunk. A lot of knots means the timber is difficult to work and is weakened. Knots are either 'loose' or 'live.
Loose knots are no longer connected to the surrounding fibers and very often fall out after the trunk has been converted or the boards have been seasoned.

 Knots caused by the wood in the

trunk growing
around a branch and subsequently being cut through during the process of sawing up the log.

DEFECTS
PITCH POCKETS
'Pitch pockets' occur as a result of injury to the cambium layer (just

underneath the bark) while the tree is growing. However the cambium
layer beneath it cannot and the damaged area fills up with resin or sap. The bark of a tree can heal small damage to itself with time. A pitch pocket appears as a long narrow slit or opening in the timber board. Pitch pockets are more obvious in softwoods.

DEFECTS
COMPRESSION CREASE
It is a horizontal row of kinks in the wood.

During storms, a tree may be severely

bent by very strong winds. This bending crushes or compresses cells along a line, which appears as a crease in the timber.

DEFECTS
GUM VEIN AND GUM POCKETS Cracks or pockets

in the timber that

contains gum or dark coloured deposits.

DEFECTS
SPIRAL GRAIN 'Spiral grain' is a result of the unusual event of the free twisting as it grows

DEFECTS
WANEY-EDGE Waney-edge is a conversion defect only. Some of the bark is left on the board which has been taken from the

outer part of the

tree.

DEFECTS
DAMPNESS

If you use damp timber (air-dried), you risk shrinkage, warping and glue failure as is dries out.

Wood from an open-sided store will contain up to 17% of its weight in water (its moisture content). If used indoors with central heating this figure will drop to about 8%.

Old well-dried timber may not necessarily be a better buy than new as it often twist when re-sawn.

All timber shrinks or moves as it dries out. The greatest shrinkage takes place along the circumference of the annular rings The best way to avoid the hazards of damp timber is to store it for at least three or four weeks in the room where it is to be used.

You can buy kiln-dried timber which will be ready for use.

DEFECTS
SPLITS
These occur along the
grain and are caused by the grain separating.

DEFECTS
COLLAPSE
The removal of moisture from timber during seasoning causes shrinkage.

This shrinkage is normally controlled, but if the timber is

dried too quickly and unevenly then the cell walls flatten out and distort causing collapse.

DEFECTS
WARP
This term applies to any variation of the timber from the flat.

It includes: CUP, TWIST, BOWand SPRING.

WARP These defects can be caused by faulty seasoning and uneven drying but often it is due to sloping or spiral grain and the presence of knots.

DEFECTS
HEART SHAKES
These are radial cracks originating at the heart of the logs.

DEFECTS
WIND SHAKES OR CUP SHAKES
These are cracks or breaks across the annual rings of timber during its growth caused by excessive bending of the tree due to wind.

DEFECTS
STAR SHAKES
It is composed of several heart shakes radiating from the center of the log in a star-like manner

DEFECTS
DRY-ROT
It is a defect in wood due to deterioration. Dry-rot is the presence of moisture in seasoned wood caused by fungi.

DEFECTS
WET-ROT
It is also a defect in wood due to deterioration. Wet-rot usually takes place sometime in the growth of trees caused by watersaturation.

DEFECTS
INSECT AND TERMITE HOLES
A hole in the wood caused by boring
insects. Not serious if they are few in number seriously but termite galleries will and

affect

strength

appearance of the timber.

DEFECTS
ROT IN TIMBER
Fungi are plants which depend on other plants for their food. They are parasites. After germinating the fungus starts to produce cells called 'hyphae' which feed on the wood in order to grow itself. The hyphae spread out through the wood in a weblike manner to form what is called a 'mycelium'.

DEFECTS
WOOD-ROTTING FUNGI
Recognition of Decay There are 4 points to watch out for when trying to detect the presence of a flingus in the early stages of attack.

(1) A change of colour; the wood deepens in colour

(2) The wood becomes softer (3) There is a loss in weight (4) There can be a musty smell

DEFECTS
moisture

WOOD-ROTTING FUNGI
Eradication of Decay
(1) Have the fungus identified (2) Locate the source of the infection and prevent any further entry of (3) Remove all infected timber and burn immediately (4) If the fungus is a dry-rot then any brickwork and walls close to the infected timber must be sterilized as dry-rot fungi will invade brickwork and mortar seeking moisture. The replacement timber as well as the surrounding timbers must be treated with a preservative. (5) If the fungus is a wet-rot the surrounding walls or brickwork not need be sterilized. Only the replacement and surrounding timbers need to be treated with a preservative.

DEFECTS
Prevention of Decay

WOOD-ROTTING FUNGI
(I) Use naturally durable timbers (2) Keep all timber dry, at or below 20% moisture content (3) Make sure there is good ventilation (4) Treat non-durable timber with a preservative if it cannot be kept dry

DEFECTS
There the wood common common (Anobium are starch cells. of

INSECT ATTACK
several insects in the which survive by feeding on contained The these is most beetle

5mm long and is usually a brown in colour with a fine yellowish covering.

furniture

Punctatum),

otherwise generally known as

Woodworm. The Woodworm beetle grows to a size of 2.5 -