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Terms of Use

By accessing and using this website and website content (collectively, the “Website”), you are deemed to have agreed to these terms and conditions of use (the “Terms of Use”) and any other notices, guidelines and rules published by the Canadian Wood Council (“CWC”) on this Website from time to time (each of which is incorporated into these Terms of Use by reference), and all applicable laws and regulations governing the Website. By using this Website you also represent and warrant that you have the legal authority to enter into this Agreement.

You also agree to the use of any personal information that you may supply to CWC through this Website, as further described in our Privacy Policy.

CWC has the right, in its sole discretion, to add, remove, modify or otherwise change any part of these Terms of Use for the Website, in whole or in part, at any time. Any change will be effective when notice of such change is posted on the Website. Your continued use of this Website after any such change is posted will constitute your acceptance and agreement from you or any party you purport to represent, without limitation or qualification, to be bound by this Agreement as it may be amended from time to time. If any portion of these Terms of Use or any change to these Terms of Use is not acceptable to you, you must discontinue your use of this Website immediately. These Terms of Use apply exclusively to your use of this Website and do not alter the terms or conditions of any other agreement you may have with CWC.

1. Your Use of This Website

The Materials included on this site are provided for convenience and informational purposes. CWC grants you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sub-licensable, revocable, limited license to display on your computer, print, download and use the Website for informational purposes only and solely for your own personal or internal company use. Except as otherwise expressly stated, no other use is permitted. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you may not use the Website to infringe the rights of, restrict or inhibit anyone else’s use or enjoyment of the Website, disseminate any unlawful or objectionable material, obtain unauthorized access to or interfere with CWC’s computer systems, or otherwise breach applicable laws or regulations. Accessing the Website from locations where its content is illegal is prohibited. Those who choose to access the Website from other locations do so at their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws.

2. Intellectual Property

CWC either owns the intellectual property rights in the Website (including, without limitation, underlying HTML,  trademarks, logos, designs, photos, information and material in text, graphical, video and audio forms, images, reports, articles, data, databases, charts, graphics, interfaces, and other content), or has obtained the permission of the owner of the relevant intellectual property for use in connection with the Website. Except for any rights you may have in User Content (as defined below) posted by you on this Website, CWC reserves all rights that are not specifically granted under these Terms of Use. For permission to reproduce any portion of this Website, or to make suggestions for Website improvements, please email us at: helpdesk@cwc.ca. Any authorized reproduction of any portion of this Website must be accompanied by CWC’s copyright notice or the copyright notice of the owner of the relevant copyright, as the case may be.

CWC claims no ownership or control over any content including any and all trademarks, logos, designs, photos, information and material in text, graphical, video and audio forms, images, reports, articles, data, databases, charts, graphics, interfaces, and other content submitted, posted or displayed by you on or through the Website (the “User Content”). You or a third party licensor, as the case may be, retain all rights to any User Content you submit, post or display on or through the Website and you are responsible for protecting those rights.

By submitting, posting, uploading or displaying User Content on or through this Website, you grant CWC a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, unrestricted, non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, sublicense, collect, reproduce, store, compile, download, adapt, modify, translate, make derivative works from, transmit, publish, distribute, publicly perform or display such User Content for any purpose using any form, media or technology now known or later developed in accordance with CWC’s Privacy Policy, without providing compensation to you or anyone else, without any liability whatsoever, and free from any obligation of confidence or other duties on the part of CWC. You represent and warrant that you have all the rights, power and authority necessary to grant the rights granted herein to any User Content submitted. CWC may, but is not obligated to, edit any User Content provided to it prior to or after it being posted to the Website.

3. Disclaimer

The Website is provided “as is” and “as available”. Your use of the Website is at your own risk, and you acknowledge that you are solely responsible for actions and communications undertaken or transmitted by you in the course of your usage of this Website. The Website is not guaranteed to be error-free or uninterrupted. CWC assumes no responsibility and provides no warranties, representations, guarantees, covenants or conditions, express or implied (either in fact or by operation of law) or statutory, including, without limitation, with respect to the quality, accuracy, reliability, currency, truth, completeness, merchantability, merchantable quality, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or continued availability of the Website.

The Website may provide, or third parties may provide, links to other websites or resources. Because CWC has no control over such sites and resources, you acknowledge and agree that CWC is not responsible for the availability of such external sites or resources, and that CWC does not endorse and is not responsible or liable for any content, advertising, products, services or other materials on or available from such sites or resources. You further acknowledge and agree that CWC shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such external site or resource. If you decide to visit any linked site, you do so at your own risk and it is your responsibility to take all protective measures to guard against viruses and other destructive elements.

4. Inbound Links

CWC welcomes links to this Website. However, you agree that if you want to link to this Website your website shall not:

  • create frames around any part of this Website or use other techniques that alter the visual presentation of this Site;
  • imply that CWC is endorsing you or any other person, or your or such other person’s products or services;
  • imply an affiliation between you or any other person, or your or such other person’s products or services, and CWC without the prior written consent of CWC;
  • misrepresent the relationship between you or any other person and CWC or present false, misleading or otherwise damaging information or impressions about CWC or any of its products or services; or
  • contain materials that may be interpreted as distasteful, harmful, offensive, infringing or inaccurate.

5. No Advice

The Website and its content are for informational or demonstrative purposes only. The Website and its content are not intended to be a comprehensive or detailed statement concerning the matters addressed and may not be relied upon as professional advice or a substitute for such advice. You are responsible for obtaining appropriate advice from qualified external sources prior to acting upon any information available at or through this Website.

6. Restricted Areas

Certain areas of this Website may be accessed only by use of a unique user identification and password.  If you are provided with or submit a password, you are responsible for ensuring that your user identification and password are not disclosed to or used by any other person.  CWC is under no obligation to verify the actual identity or authority of any person using the unique user identification and password to access and/or use this Website or any part thereof. You are fully responsible for all activities that occur under your user identification or password, and release CWC from and indemnify CWC against all claims, proceedings, liabilities, obligations and costs resulting directly or indirectly from the use of your identification or password by any other person. You must immediately notify CWC at helpdesk@cwc.ca if you know or suspect any unauthorized use of your user identification or password.

For the purposes of accessing any feature or portion of this Website requiring the use of a user identification and/or password, the user identification and password remain the property of CWC and CWC may deny access to or use of the Website or any part thereof, or may cancel or suspend the user identification and password at any time in CWC’s sole discretion, without any notice or liability to you or any other person.

7. Privacy

CWC may, in its discretion, monitor your use of the Website or any part thereof.  CWC collects, uses and discloses personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference into this Agreement and available by clicking here. This Privacy Policy may be amended by CWC from time to time, in its sole discretion, without notifying or being liable to you or any other person, by making an amended Privacy Policy accessible through the Website. Each time you use the Website, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information by CWC in accordance with the Privacy Policy as it then reads.

8. Limitation of Liability

IN NO EVENT WILL CWC, ITS AFFILIATES OR SERVICE PROVIDERS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES, BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE AND EXEMPLARY DAMAGES OR LOSSES, HOWSOEVER CAUSED, ARISING FROM, CONNECTED WITH, OR RELATING TO THE WEBSITE OR ANY PART THEREOF, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE WEBSITE OR ANY PART THEREOF, OR THIS AGREEMENT INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF USE, LOST PROFITS OR LOST SAVINGS, OR RESULTING FROM VIRUSES, DATA CORRUPTION, FAILED MESSAGES, TRANSMISSION ERRORS OR PROBLEMS, LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES, THIRD-PARTY CONTENT, USER CONTENT, PRODUCTS OR SERVICES, THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS WEBSITE OR THE CONTENT UNDER ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY (WHETHER ON A CONTRACTUAL OR EXTRACONTRACTUAL BCWCS, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY OR ANY OTHER THEORY OR LAW OR EQUITY), REGARDLESS OF ANY NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER FAULT OR WRONGDOING AND FUNDAMENTAL BREACH BY CWC OR ANY PERSON FOR WHOM CWC IS RESPONSIBLE EVEN IF CWC OR ITS AFFILIATES OR SERVICE PROVIDERS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR CLAIM.

9. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify, defend and hold CWC, its affiliates, and service providers, and their respective agents, directors, officers, employees, service providers, and suppliers (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) harmless from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses and costs, including without limitation reasonable legal fees and expenses, incurred by the indemnified parties in connection with any claim or demand arising out of, related to, or connected with Your use of the Website, Your violation or infringement of the rights of others, and/or Your use of the Website in breach of this Agreement. You will assist and co-operate as fully as reasonably required by the Indemnified Parties in the defense of any such claim or demand.

Advice and information provided by CWC or its representatives, or through the Website, whether oral or written, will not create any representation, warranty or condition or vary or amend this agreement, including the above disclaimers, liability exclusions, liability limitations, release and indemnity provisions, and you may not rely upon any such advice or information. The exclusion of certain warranties and the limitation of certain liabilities is prohibited by legislation in some jurisdictions. Such legislative limitations may apply to you. The disclaimer(s), liability exclusion, liability limitation, release, and indemnity provisions in this Agreement survive the termination of this Agreement.

10. Termination of this Agreement

If you breach any provision of this Agreement, CWC may prohibit you from accessing or using the Website or any portion thereof. CWC may, at any time without notice or liability, and for any reason whatsoever, terminate, change, suspend or discontinue any aspect of the Website and/or any part thereof, including i) changing the availability of, restricted access to, or imposing limits on any or all features or services on, or links to, the Website; ii) removing, adding, modifying or otherwise changing any content on the Website. CWC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to correct any errors or omissions in any portion of the Website at any time without notice, but confirms that it has no obligation to do so.

If this Agreement or your permission to use the Website is terminated by you or us for any reason, then (a) you must cease your use of this Website and destroy all materials obtained from this Website and all related documentation and all copies and installations thereof, whether made under this Agreement or otherwise; (b) this Agreement will nevertheless continue to apply and be binding upon you in respect of your prior use of the Website and anything connected with, relating to or arising from that use; and (c) we may continue to use and disclose your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy, as amended from time to time. Sections 2 (Intellectual Property), 3 (Disclaimer), 4 (Inbound Links), 7 (Privacy), 8 (Limitation of Liability), 9 (Indemnity), 10 (Termination), 11 (Release), 12 (Governing Law and Dispute Resolution), 13 (Trademark Information), 14 (Other Matters) and 15 (Contact) survive indefinitely after the termination of this Agreement.

11. Release

You hereby release, remise and forever discharge CWC, its affiliates and their respective agents, directors, officers, employees, service providers, and suppliers from any and all manner of rights, claims, complaints, demands, causes of action, proceedings, liabilities, obligations, legal fees, costs, and disbursements of any nature and kind whatsoever and howsoever arising, whether known or unknown, which now or hereafter exist, which arise from, relate to, or are connected with your use of the Website.

12. Governing Law

This Agreement, your use of the Website, and all related matters are governed solely by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada and applicable federal laws of Canada, excluding any rules of private international law or the conflict of laws which would lead to the application of any other laws. Any dispute between CWC and you or any other person arising from, in connection with or relating to the Website, this Agreement, or any related matters must be resolved before the Courts of the Province of Ontario, Canada sitting in the City of Ottawa, and you hereby irrevocably submit and attorn to the original and exclusive jurisdiction of those Courts in respect of any such dispute. Any claim or cause of action you may have arising from, in connection with, or relating to your use of the Website, this Agreement, or any related matters must be commenced in a court of competent jurisdiction in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada within one (1) year after the claim or cause of action arises, after which time the claim or cause of action is forever barred, regardless of any statute or law to the contrary.

13. Trade-mark

CWC and the CWC logo are registered trade-marks and trade-names owned by CWC. Other product and company names and logos appearing on the Website may be registered and unregistered trade-marks, service-marks or trade-names of their respective owners. Any use of the trade-marks, service-marks, trade-names and logos (collectively the “Marks”) displayed on the Website, except as expressly provided in this Agreement, is strictly prohibited. Nothing appearing on the Website or elsewhere will be construed as granting, by implication, estoppel, or otherwise, any license or right to use any Marks displayed on the Website.

14. Other Matters

If any provision of this Agreement is found to be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed to be severed from the rest of this Agreement and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. No consent or waiver by either party to or of any breach or default by the other party in its performance of its obligations under this Agreement will be deemed or construed to be a consent to or waiver of a continuing breach or default or any other breach or default of those or any other obligations of that party. No consent or waiver will be effective unless in writing and signed by both parties. CWC will not accept transactions or instructions by Internet email messages. However, questions of a general nature or inquiries may be communicated by email. Any communication transmitted to CWC by electronic mail shall become the property of CWC or its affiliates and may be used for any purpose. CWC shall be free to use any idea contained in any communication sent to CWC for any purpose whatsoever, including, but not limited to, developing, manufacturing and marketing products using such information.

This Agreement as amended from time to time by CWC constitutes the entire agreement between you and CWC relating to your use of the Website and supersedes all previous agreements, written, oral or otherwise, between you and CWC with respect to your use of the Website.

The provisions of this Agreement will ensure to the benefit of and be binding upon CWC and its service providers and their respective successors and assigns, and you and your heirs, executors, administrators, successors and personal representatives. You may not assign this Agreement or your rights and obligations under this Agreement without the express written consent of CWC, which may be withheld in CWC’s sole discretion. CWC and its service providers may assign this Agreement and their respective rights and obligations under this agreement without your consent.

15. Contact Use

If you have any comments or questions about these Terms of Use or your use of the Website or any part thereof, please contact CWC at helpdesk@cwc.ca.

The 2025 Ottawa Wood Solutions Conference will be presented on February 5, 2025 at the National Arts Centre

December 19, 2024 (Ottawa) – The 2025 Ottawa Wood Solutions Conference will be presented on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, at the National Arts Centre, located at 1 Elgin St. in Ottawa. 

First launched over 20 years ago to serve design and construction professionals interested in building with wood, this event has evolved from a niche gathering into a cornerstone of professional education, driven by the growing demand for sustainable wood construction. The program offers a range of presentations—from technical deep dives to inspiring case studies—catering to participants at every stage of their professional journey, from newcomers to seasoned experts. Attendees can also take advantage of valuable opportunities to connect, collaborate, and expand their professional networks within the wood community. 

Conference organizers are delighted to welcome Christophe Ouhayoun of KOZ Architects (France) to share insights into the innovative, collaborative development of the Paris Olympics Athletes’ Village. His presentation will also explore the current effort underway to convert these structures into much-needed permanent housing, highlighting this progressive mass timber development as a model of adaptability and sustainability. 

Another program highlight pays tribute to the venue itself. Donald Schmitt, CM, of Diamond Schmitt Architects will present on the revitalization of the National Arts Centre, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the timber structure and prefabrication process that transformed this iconic building into a modern landmark. 

Other technical presentations include managing sound and vibration in mass timber buildings and growing Canadian capacity for industrialized wood construction, advancing wood products in our changing climate, and a discussion of the value of conventional wood frame construction in small communities where it provides job opportunities, with a specific focus on Indigenous housing projects. 

Early Bird registration of just $99+HST is available until the end of December. In the new year, registration for the conference will be $149 +HST. Delegates can find the Ottawa Wood Solutions Conference on Eventbrite or jump directly to online registration with this link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2025-ottawa-wood-solutions-conference-tickets-1080654991169

A limited number of discounted passes are available for post-secondary educators and students in AEC+D programs of study. Please contact Kelsey Dayler for more information kdayler@cwc.ca.  

Wood Solutions Conference Ottawa 2025

Wood Design & Building Magazine, vol 23, issue 94

  • Commercial Buildings, Industrial Buildings, Residential Buildings

Buildings

Wall Types for Water Control

Building envelope experts generally speak of three or four different approaches to design of a wall for moisture control. Face seal walls are designed to achieve water tightness and air tightness at the face of the cladding. An example would be stucco applied directly to sheathing or masonry without a moisture barrier membrane such as building paper. Joints in the cladding and interfaces with other wall components are sealed to provide continuity. The exterior face of the cladding is the primary – and only – drainage path. There is no moisture control redundancy, i.e., there is no back-up system. A face seal system must be constructed and maintained in perfect condition to effectively control rain water intrusion. In general, these walls are only recommended in low risk situations, such as wall areas under deep overhangs or in dry climates. Concealed barrier walls are designed with an acceptance that some water may pass beyond the surface of the cladding. These walls incorporate a drainage plane within the wall assembly, as a second line of defense against rain water.

The face of the cladding remains the primary drainage path, but secondary drainage is accomplished within the wall. This drainage plane consists of a membrane such as building paper, which carries water down and out of the wall assembly. An example is siding or stucco applied over building paper. Concealed barrier walls are appropriate in areas of low to moderate exposure to rain and wind. Rainscreen walls take water management one step further by incorporating a cavity between the back of the cladding and the building paper. This airspace ventilates the back of the cladding, helping it to dry out. The cavity also acts as a capillary break between cladding and building paper, thereby keeping most water from making contact with the building paper. An example of a rainscreen wall is stucco or siding applied to vertical strapping over the building paper. Rainscreen walls are appropriate in high rain and wind exposures. An advancement of the rainscreen technology is the pressure-equalized rainscreen. These walls use vents to equalize the pressure between the exterior and the cavity air, thereby removing one of the driving forces for water penetration (when it is pushed through cracks due to high pressure on the face of the wall and low pressure in the cavity). These walls are for very high risk exposures.

Importance of an Overhang

In a rainy climate, an overhang is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce the risk of water intrusion. An overhang is an umbrella for the wall, and the deeper the better. A survey of leaky buildings in British Columbia commissioned by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in 1996 showed a strong inverse correlation between depth of overhang and percent of walls with problems. However, even a small overhang can help protect the wall, largely due to its effect on driving rain. One important benefit of overhangs and peaked roofs often not appreciated is the effect of these elements on wind pressure. Wind-driven rain is typically the largest source of moisture for walls. An overhang and/or sloped roof will help direct the wind up and over the building, which reduces the pressure on the wall and thereby reduces the force of the driving rain striking the wall. This means water is less likely to be pushed by wind through cracks in the wall.

Minimize the Holes

Most rainwater problems are due to water leaking into the wall through holes. If care isn’t taken to protect discontinuities in the envelope, water can leak around window framing and dryer vents, at intersections like balconies and parapets, and at building paper joints, for example. Good design detailing and careful construction is critical! So is maintenance of short-life sealants like caulk around window frames. BC Housing-Homeowner Protection Office has updated the “Best Practice Guide for Wood-Frame Envelopes in the Coastal Climate of British Columbia” originally developed by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and published “Building Enclosure Design Guide for Wood-Frame Multi-Unit Residential Buildings” with extensive information on design and construction detailing.

Use our Effective R calculator to determine not only the thermal resistance of walls, but also a durability assessment of the wall based on representative climate conditions across Canada.

Related Publications
For on-line design and construction tips, try the following:The Build a Better Home program, operated by APA-The Engineered Wood Association, runs training courses, operates a demonstration houses, and offers publications. The web site offers construction information and provides links to all relevant APA publications.

Buildings

Building Enclosure Design Guide: Wood-Frame Multi-Unit Residential Buildings.

Buildings

 

  • Environmental Impacts

Environmental Issues

Safe Handling

Using common sense and standard safety equipment (personal protection and wood-working machinery) applies when working with any building products. Gloves, dust masks and goggles are appropriate for use with all woodworking. Here are a few key points specific to treated wood:

  • Pressure-treated wood is not a pesticide, and it is not a hazardous product. In most municipalities, you may dispose of treated wood by ordinary garbage collection. However, you should check with your local regulations.
  • Never burn treated wood because toxic chemicals may be produced as part of the smoke and ashes.
  • If preservatives or sawdust accumulate on clothes, launder before reuse. Wash your work clothes separately from other household clothing.
  • Treated wood used for patios, decks and walkways should be free of surface preservative residues.
  • Treated wood should not be used for compost heaps where free organic acids produced early in the composting process can remove the fixed chemicals. It is, however, safe to use for growing vegetables in raised soil beds. If, after reading this, you are still concerned, place a layer of plastic sheet between the soil and the treated wood wall.
  • Treated wood should not be cleaned with harsh reducing agents since these can also remove the fixed chemicals.

Environmental Concerns

All wood preservatives used in the U.S. and Canada are registered and regularly re-examined for safety by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Health Canada’s Pest Management and Regulatory Agency, respectively. 

Wood preservation is not an exact science, due to the biological – and therefore variable and unpredictable – nature of both wood and the organisms that destroy it. Wood scientists are trying to understand more about how wood decays to ensure that durability is achieved through smart design and construction choices where possible, so that as a society we can be selective in our use of preservatives.

Comparing treated wood to alternative products

A series of life cycle assessments has been completed comparing preservative treated wood to alternative products. In most cases, the treated wood products had lower environmental impacts.

Environmental Issues Environmental Issues

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click for consumer safety information on handling treated wood (Canada).

Read More

  • Durability, Treatments
Treated Wood

Treated Wood

When you want to use wood that is not naturally decay resistant in a wet application (outdoors, for example) or where it may be at risk for insect attack, you need to specify preservative-treated wood. This is lumber that has been chemically treated to make it unattractive to fungi and other pests. In the same way that you would specify galvanized steel where it would be at risk of rusting, you specify treated wood where it will be used in a setting conducive to decay. 

Wood does not deteriorate just because it gets wet. When wood breaks down, it is because an organism is eating it as food. Preservatives work by making the food source inedible to these organisms.

Properly preservative-treated wood can have 5 to 10 times the service life of untreated wood. This extension of life saves the equivalent of 12.5% of Canada’s annual log harvest.

Preserved wood is used most often for railroad ties, utility poles, marine piles, decks, fences and other outdoor applications. Various treatment methods and types of chemicals are available, depending on the attributes required in the particular application and the level of protection needed.

  • Environmental Impacts

Environmental product declarations (EPDs)

EPD Link
An Industry Average EPD for Canadian Pre-fabricated Wood I-Joists View Resource
A Regionalized Industry Average EPD for Canadian Softwood Lumber View Resource
A Regionalized Industry Average EPD for Canadian Oriented Strand Board View Resource
An Industry Average EPD for Canadian Softwood Plywood View Resource
A Regionalized Industry Average EPD for Canadian Wood Trusses View Resource

Stakeholders within the building design and construction community are increasingly being asked to include information in their decision-making processes that take into consideration potential environmental impacts. These stakeholders and interested parties expect unbiased product information that is consistent with current best practices and based on objective scientific analysis. In the future, building product purchasing decisions will likely require the type of environmental information provided by environmental product declarations (EPDs). In addition, green building rating systems, including LEED®, Green Globes™ and BREEAM®, recognize the value of EPDs for the assessment of potential environmental impacts of building products.

EPDs are concise, standardized, and third-party verified reports that describe the environmental performance of a product or a service. EPDs are able to identify and quantify the potential environmental impacts of a product or service throughout the various stages of its life cycle (resource extraction or harvest, processing, manufacturing, transportation, use, and end-of-life). EPDs, also known as Type III environmental product declarations, provide quantified environmental data using predetermined parameters that are based on internationally standardized approaches. EPDs for building products can help architects, designers, specifiers, and other purchasers better understand a product’s potential environmental impacts and sustainability attributes.

An EPD is a disclosure by a company or industry to make public the environmental data related to one or more of its products. EPDs are intended to help purchasers better understand a product’s environmental attributes in order for specifiers to make more informed decisions selecting products. The function of EPDs are somewhat analogous to nutrition labels on food packaging; their purpose is to clearly communicate, to the user, environmental data about products in a standardized format.

EPDs are information carriers that are intended to be a simple and user-friendly mechanism to disclose potential environmental impact information about a product within the marketplace. EPDs do not rank products or compare products to baselines or benchmarks. An EPD does not indicate whether or not certain environmental performance criteria have been met and does not address social and economic impacts of construction products.

Data reported in an EPD is collected using life cycle assessment (LCA), an internationally standardized scientific methodology. LCAs involve compiling an inventory of relevant energy and material inputs and environmental releases, and evaluating their potential impacts. It is also possible for EPDs to convey additional environmental information about a product that is outside the scope of LCA.

EPDs are primarily intended for business-to-business communication, although they can also be used for business-to-consumer communication. EPDs are developed based on the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) study and must be compliant with the relevant product category rules (PCR), which are developed by a registered program operator. The PCR establishes the specific rules, requirements and guidelines for conducting an LCA and developing an EPD for one or more product categories.

The North American wood products industry has developed several industry wide EPDs, applicable to all the wood product manufacturers located across North America. These industry wide EPDs have obtained third-party verification from the Underwriters Laboratories Environment (ULE), an independent certification body. North American wood product EPDs provide industry average data for the following environmental metrics:

  • Global warming potential;
  • Acidification potential;
  • Eutrophication potential;
  • Ozone depletion potential;
  • Smog potential;
  • Primary energy consumption;
  • Material resources consumption; and
  • Non-hazardous waste generation.

Industry wide EPDs for wood products are business-to-business EPDs, covering a cradle-to-gate scope; from raw material harvest until the finished product is ready to leave the manufacturing facility. Due to the multitude of uses for wood products, the potential environmental impacts related to the delivery of the product to the customer, the use of the product, and the eventual end-of-life processes are excluded from the analysis.

For further information, refer to the following resources:

  • Moisture & Decay

Assessing and Restoration of Decay

Sometimes it happens – wood in service suffers from decay. How can you identify decayed wood and what are the recommended actions to take? First, be sure you actually have decay. The wood may only be harmlessly discoloured, for any number of reasons. See the publication in the side bar for help if your wood is stained but you’re not sure why.

If wood is badly decayed, this will be quite obvious. The wood will be softer than normal and perhaps even be breakable by hand. Decayed wood often has a colour change, either darker or lighter than normal, although this could be due to weathering or could just be a stain. The wood may display an unexpected cracking pattern, or may look stringy- this is a sign of fairly advanced decay. If fungal growth is visible on the surface, the wood has quite likely already suffered strength loss even if this isn’t visibly obvious. However, do not rely on visual cues alone.

Wood can appear stained and yet be sound, or can appear normal yet have already suffered significant strength loss due to decay. Some researchers or engineers use the pick test to determine if the wood is sound. They insert the point of a knife at a shallow angle to the surface and attempt to lever up a thin splinter. If the wood splinters with longer fragments, it is likely sound. If instead it breaks or crumbles in small pieces over the blade, it could be decayed. Decayed wood breaks somewhat like a carrot snapping in half, at one section, versus the splintering along the length of sound wood. See our Biodeterioration page to learn more about the science of decay.

Assessing and Restoration of Decay

If you are still unsure whether or not you have decayed wood, you are advised to seek help from a wood restoration specialist.

How urgent is a decay problem? By the time you notice decay, the wood typically has lost substantial strength already. In cases where the decayed wood is supporting load you are strongly advised to contact a structural engineer or other appropriate expert to more thoroughly assess the problem and proceed with a repair.

A small, localized and non-critical case of decay may be a do-it-yourself project under some conditions. All decayed wood should be removed. If you are unable to remove the entire affected piece, remove the decayed portion plus an additional portion of adjacent wood beyond the visible decay. A rule of thumb is to remove an additional two feet (60 cm) of adjacent wood from each side, although this will of course depend on the extent of the decay. The removal of adjacent wood is because the fungus may have extended deep into the wood beyond the area of decay and may be ready to cause more damage in adjacent sound wood.

Then apply a field treatment to the remaining adjacent wood, such as a borate solution in roll-on, rod or paste form, before replacing the removed pieces. Use treated or naturally durable wood to replace the removed pieces. If damaged wood must be left in place, a penetrating epoxy can sometimes be applied as a stabilizer. In those cases and for best results in all wood repair projects we recommend you consult with a wood restoration expert.

Indoors, it is extremely important that you find the source(s) of the moisture that allowed wood decay fungi to grow. If you had wood decay in a location that is supposed to be dry, then you have a leak or a condensation problem that needs fixing to prevent any future problems. Look for primary and secondary sources of moisture. A short term leak may have allowed decay to start, for example, and condensation may be sustaining the decay. If the location of the decayed wood was outdoors or in a wet location, you need to use treated or naturally durable wood.

If you have building moisture problems on a large scale, you need to hire some experts and be prepared for a potentially substantial remediation project. Seek out a qualified consultant, who will begin by using a variety of techniques and tools to determine the extent of the damage. This will include a visual examination for staining, bulging, cracking, presence of water, and warping. Subsurface moisture penetration will be tested with probes and/or thermography.

In a building with wood structural members, the consultant will probably use a moisture meter to sample wetness of structural wood components in several locations. Based on the results of this investigation, the consultant will recommend a course of action for repair and future prevention. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has developed a guide for building envelope rehabilitation, in two volumes: one for owners, one for consultants.

More Information
Click Here for a fact sheet Discolourations on wood products: Causes and Implications for help if your wood is stained and you’re not sure why.
Click here for more information on biodeterioration and the science of decay.
Click here for more information on remedial treatments.
Click here for links on decay assessment and other durability topics

  • Treatments

Choosing and Applying Exterior Wood Coatings

Choosing a coating depends on what appearance is desired and what level of maintenance would be tolerable.  For many people, the basic choice is paint versus stain. The trade-off is often between maintenance frequency and appearance.

For many people, additional criteria include VOC emissions, ease of clean up, and cost.  See our Links page for web sites and books with detailed information on choosing and applying wood finishes.  Read our About exterior wood coatings page for an understanding of the differences between paints and stains, pigmented versus clear coatings, and so forth.

Because exterior wood shrinks and swells with moisture changes, the coating needs to be flexible. Flexibility varies by product – some products may be clearly identified as suitably flexible for wood’s dimensional changes.  Water-borne coatings are generally more flexible than alkyds. Coatings containing urethanes tend to be more flexible than coatings containing acrylics.

For factory finishing with transparent coatings, with special considerations for UV and mildew control, please see our fact sheet Factory Finishing with Transparent Coatings: Requirements for Maximizing Longevity.

Special Considerations

If a coating is desired for a wear surface such as a deck or stairs, consult carefully with the coating manufacturer to choose the right product for this demanding application.  All coatings will be challenged by foot traffic and increased exposure to weather in a horizontal application.  High traffic routes will show wear faster than other areas. Paints and other thick film-formers may fail quickly in this situation, and a time-consuming refinishing process will be necessary each time the coating fails.  Hence many people will find a stain the more convenient choice for decks and stairs.

Knots may require a bit of extra care as some wood extractives or resin may leach out or bleed. Extractive bleeding can cause discolouration, but this can usually be prevented by applying special stain-blocking primers. In some species, especially the pines and Douglas-fir, knots and pitch pockets contain resin. The resin can bleed and may discolour the finish, leave hard beads of resin on the surface, or may otherwise interfere with the coating bond. The best way to prevent this is to purchase kiln-dried wood where the resin should be set (hardened and fixed in place). If painting is desired, choose higher grades of lumber as these will have fewer knots, and choose kiln-dried lumber if using a resinous species.

If siding or sidewall shingles are to be painted, the US Forest Products Laboratory (USFPL) recommends they be backprimed.  This application of a coating to the back side will plug the wood pores, preventing extractive bleed without blocking water vapour transmission and also preventing liquid water uptake.

If possible, round out any sharp corners for best coating adhesion on these edges – for example, a square-edged stair tread will show coating degradation quickly, but bullnosed stair tread edges will retain a coating much longer.  This is because a coating applied to a corner tends to pull away from the corner, leaving a much thinner layer there than elsewhere.

Surface Preparation

Durability of any finish is highly dependent on proper application, which includes good preparation of the surface to be coated.  Specific details on surface preparation depend on what condition the wood is to begin with – read on for tips that apply to various scenarios.

Surface Preparation for Fresh Wood

While fresh, clean wood can be coated without surface preparation, a light sanding with 100 grit sandpaper (and dust removal) can double the service life of some water-based coatings. For best results apply a coating to a fresh wood surface as soon as possible after planing or sanding.  If exposed to rain and sun for more than two weeks, adhesion of coatings will not be as good. The surface must also be free of anything that will interfere with coating adhesion, such as dirt, damaged wood fibres and moisture. Grade stamps on wood should also be removed before applying a semitransparent stain, preferably by sanding.

Cleaning

If there are discolourations caused by dirt, iron stains or other discolourations on the wood surface, cleaning may be desired. It is always preferable to achieve cleaning with sanding when possible.  Another safe way to clean wood without damaging the surface is to simply use a garden hose, with or without a pressure nozzle.  Use pressure-washing only with extreme care as it can damage wood, especially low-density species such as western red cedar.  The pressure should be kept at a minimum, and never hold the nozzle in one place for a long time.  If necessary, use a little bit of dish detergent, and lightly scrub (not with steel wool, as this will leave iron stains) in the direction of the grain for any stubborn discolourations.  For discolourations that resist soap-and-water cleaning, chemical cleaners will be effective.  The chemicals in commercial wood cleaners can be caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), sodium metasilicate, oxalic acid, citric acid, phosphoric acid, borax or some mixture. Wood cleaners containing caustic soda at a 1% –  2% solution will remove nearly all discolourations with the least damage to wood. Some acid cleaners are especially effective for removing extractive stains and iron stain.  Bleach is commonly used for cleaning wood, but we do not recommend this, since a poor wood substrate will usually be left behind for subsequent coating.  Resin (pine pitch) can be generally removed with mineral spirits. Please note that all acidic or alkaline chemicals need to be thoroughly rinsed off before coating. Chemicals can be toxic, corrosive and harmful, so handle all these chemicals with care and follow all manufacturer’s instructions.

Surface Preparation for Aged Wood

Wood coatings need a fresh surface or the coating simply won’t last. The longer wood has been allowed to weather, the poorer the coating adhesion. If a fresh surface is allowed to weather or age outdoors for more than two weeks, coating adhesion will deteriorate. This is mainly due to wood damage from sunlight. Weathered wood surfaces usually have a higher acidity, higher contact angle, and lower surface energy.

Restoring an aged wood surface is necessary before applying a coating.  The damaged (aged/weathered) wood fibres must be removed, exposing fresh wood.  Also, any discolourations will typically be removed along with the damaged fibres, so the process of restoration is simultaneously a cleaning process.  Wood restoration can be achieved with sanding or with chemicals, but sanding is always preferable when possible.  Sanding can be done by hand or machine until the true wood colour shows. Then brush off the sawdust and apply the coating immediately.  For many jobs, a chemical method will be far easier.  Read the label of each product to identify the active components.  In general, caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) is the best chemical choice for both cleaning and restoration.  It effectively removes weathered wood fibres from the surface and leaves the surface at a suitable pH for coating.  Oxalic acid is also commonly identified as a wood restorer, however, it is only effective at discolouration removal and does not remove the damaged wood fibres from the surface – in other words, it is not restoring the wood to be an appropriate substrate for a coating.  However, oxalic acid can be used to return the original wood colour after the use of sodium hydroxide.  Sodium hydroxide will slightly darken the wood, and, if this is undesirable, simply rinse the wood with oxalic acid after restoration with sodium hydroxide.  Please note that all these chemicals must be handled with care and all manufacturer’s instructions should be followed, as the chemicals can be toxic, corrosive and harmful. Where the wood is close to plants, wet down the leaves with a garden hose prior to and after chemical use. Wood surfaces should also be thoroughly rinsed with water before coating.

Maintenance

Maintaining a coating means giving it a wash occasionally, watching for signs that the coating is losing integrity, and applying a fresh coat before full failure sets in.  If a coating is reapplied before the last coat has failed, the stripping process may not be necessary. It’s time to apply another coat when paint has worn down to the primer, or if the coating colour has undesirably faded, or if the surface of water-repellent treated wood no longer beads water.  Then wash or brush off dirt and apply a new coat.  Any areas showing failure (the coating has lifted from the surface or cracked, or bare wood is showing) can be spot-treated.  Remove any loose pieces of paint and use sandpaper to feather the edges of adjacent sound paint so the transition won’t be evident through the new paint layer.  Also sand away any weathered wood.  For large scale failure, refinishing will be necessary. For all coating systems, there is a limit to the number of coats a surface can support. When the coating gets too thick, refinishing will also become necessary.

Refinishing

Refinishing a coating means stripping off the old coating and starting over.  This is necessary when large areas of the coating have failed, or the coating is getting too thick for refinishing, or if a decision is made to change the type of coating.  A coating has failed when it no longer adheres to the wood surface.  If the coating has bubbled, cracked, or peeled, it must be removed.  If the coating has simply faded but otherwise appears to still be well-bonded, it may not need to be removed.  When a change of coating type is desired, the new coating may be incompatible with the old coating – to ensure a good bond for the new coating, strip off the old one.  Remove coatings by sanding or with a chemical product.  Sanding has advantages over chemical stripping in restoring the fresh wood surface, but even if sanding is done by machine, it is still very labour-intensive for large painted areas typical of outdoor projects.  Sandblasting is not recommended except for large timbers and logs, as it will pit the wood and is hard to keep away from elements like window frames.  Powerwashing will only remove loose paint, leaving behind paint that is still adhered.  So, a chemical approach is generally regarded as the most effective and least labour-intensive way to strip a coating.  Sodium hydroxide at a 6% –  8% dilution is the recommended chemical for stripping – and offers the additional benefits of cleaning discolourations and restoring the wood surface at the same time.  Products containing sodium hydroxide are corrosive and should be prevented from touching skin. Follow manufacturers’ instructions.  There are also other chemical products for stripping coatings in the market.  After stripping with chemicals, always give the wood a final rinse with water.  Many projects will still require some light sanding around stubborn stains or heavily damaged wood.

  • Durability, Treatments

Factory Finishing

  • Select heartwood where possible to minimize nutrient content of wood surfaces and prevent nutrients migrating through the coating to support fungal growth on the surface.
  • Round all corners to minimum 5 mm radius to eliminate sharp edges where coating can thin out.
  • Prepare surface by sanding with 100 grit sandpaper to physically and chemically activate the surface.  Pretreatment and coating should be applied immediately after sanding. Research shows sanding can double coating life.
  • Pretreat with an aqueous formulation containing a UV absorber designed to absorb the visible light that must penetrate transparent coatings to permit the wood to be visible. If the subsequent coating is not completely opaque to UV light, a hindered amine light stabilizer should be added to the visible light protection system. Not only does a visible light protection system prevent degradation of the wood-coating interface, it also prevents release of lignin breakdown products that can be used as a food source by black-stain fungi and prevents light induced breakdown of the biocide components. This pre-treatment must also contain three low-dose carbon-based biocides with differing chemistries to provide cross protection against detoxification and with complementary spectra of activity providing resistance to the full range of black-stain fungi. It should ideally have water repellent properties and must maintain wood surface pH close to neutral or slightly alkaline.
  • Apply a transparent water-based catalyzed urethane coating, containing organic and inorganic UV absorbers with absorbance that extends from UVB through to the high-energy part of the visible spectrum (violet light). The coating must virtually eliminate UV from penetrating to the wood, preventing breakdown of wood, biocides and water repellents. This coating will be formulated to be damp-wood friendly to allow application soon after pre-treatment. It will contain no nutrients for fungal growth. It must have an optimum combination of moisture excluding efficiency and vapour permeability to minimize moisture uptake and allow drying after rain. The first coat to be designed to penetrate and bond to the wood, subsequent coats to be designed to ensure maximum intercoat adhesion without sanding between coats. Sufficient coats to be applied to give a film thickness no less than 60 microns to minimize the ability of black-stain fungi to penetrate the film with their infection pegs. The surface layer to have sheeting rather than beading properties to ensure rapid drying after rain or dew, reducing the time available for spore germination.

Additional detailed information on coating wood surfaces has been assembled by the Joint Coatings and Forest Products Committee (http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2004/fpl_2004_bonura001.pdf, 2004).

  • Durability

Performance Factors

How long will an exterior wood coating last?  Anywhere from a few months to 20 years or more, depending on the choice of product, how it was applied, and how severe the environment.

Paints tend to last the longest, assuming they are applied properly (see Choosing and applying exterior wood coatings page).  But the range of lifespan for a paint coating is very large.  A low quality product badly applied to a weathered wood surface may barely last two years.  If everything is done right, the coating might last 20 years.  High quality paints and stains generally last longest, and coatings that are in locations protected from sunlight and water tend to last longer.

Stains and water repellents have much shorter lives than paints, but are easier to maintain.  This is one of the reasons they are a popular choice for stairs and decks.  Depending on the degree of exposure to sun, water, foot traffic, and the pigment amount in the stain, expect a life of 1 to 2 years for a stain applied to deck boards and 2 to 5 for a stain applied to products that are not subject to wear.  Water repellents generally last 6 to 12 months.

Results from numerous tests on exterior wood finishes by many experts in this field, particularly by the US Forest Products Lab (USFPL), are summarized below.  See the USFPL link for more information.

Effect of wood anatomy

  • Coatings, particularly solid colour stains and paints tend to last longer on dimensionally stable species such as western red cedar, eastern white cedar and Alaska yellow cedar, as these will shrink and swell less than other species and will therefore put less stress on the coating bond.  However deck stains will not last as long on low density species such as western red cedar due to wear.
  • Coatings last longer on wood with narrow latewood bands (the dark part of the annual ring) due to density differences between the earlywood (the light part of the ring) and the denser latewood.  The southern pines are characterized by their wide bands of latewood, and therefore these species are considered to be somewhat poor for painting.
  • The amount of extractives or resin in wood also affects coating performance. Special primers can be used to block water-soluble extractives, and kiln drying is most effective for fixing resin in wood.  Nutrients in wood can migrate through the coating to support fungal growth on the surface, and heartwood can be chosen to minimize the nutrient content in wood.

Effect of grain

  • Finishes last longer on vertical (also called edge grain) versus flat grain, as these surfaces will shrink and swell less and therefore put less stress on the coating bond.  However, it can be difficult to specify type of grain when ordering a product.  Western red cedar and redwood may be available in a premium grade, which will likely be all heartwood, vertical grain.
  • If using flat grain, place it bark side out or up if possible, because the grain is less likely to raise on that side, particularly in species with dense latewood bands such as the southern pines, and raised grain is a problem for coating adhesion. This is not an issue when using vertical grain products. Placing bark side out also minimizes checking.

Effect of surface roughness

  • Rough-sawn (saw-textured) or roughened wood creates a better coating bond and thicker coating buildup than smooth wood.  The life of a coating can be substantially extended if the wood is roughened.

Effect of sanding

  • Sanding (100 grit) can double the life of a coating, for both weathered and freshly planed wood.  This is because sanding removes any damaged surface fibres and also changes the surface chemistry to improve bonding of the coating.

Effect of wood preservatives

  • Semitransparent stains last longer when applied to CCA-treated wood – treated wood purchased prior to 2004 was probably treated with CCA.  Research is under way on finishing for wood treated with new preservatives. Protection measures regarding use of treated wood apply when coating preservative-treated wood.

Effect of bluestain

  • Bluestain is caused by fungi, and bluestained wood is more permeable than unstained wood, therefore it may absorb more coating.  Make sure to apply sufficient coating.

Effect of weathering

  • Sunlight quickly degrades the ability of a wood surface to bond with a coating.  Research has shown a tremendous difference in paint performance on weathered versus unweathered wood.  Paint on boards with no exposure to weather prior to painting lasted at least 20 years.  Boards that had weathered for 16 weeks prior to painting began showing cracks in just 3 years.  For maximum coating life, sand the surface if the wood has been exposed to any sunlight at all, particularly if for more than two weeks.

Effect of product manufacturing

  • Plywood:  Coatings on plywood are challenged by the small cracks (face checks) on the surface that are caused by the lathe when the veneer is cut from the log during manufacturing.  As the plywood goes through moisture cycling outdoors, these cracks tend to get larger and stress the coating bond.  Plywood surface, edges and joints in outdoor applications should be protected, and coatings and other products for helping plywood resist cracking can be applied to prevent moisture ingress.  Generally a good stain can effectively protect plywood. Since checking in stained plywood usually occurs during the first six months of outdoor exposure, best coating results can be obtained by applying a first coat and allowing any checking to occur, then six months or so later applying a second coat.  Paints can fail quickly on plywood, unless efforts are made to reduce moisture uptake and also to use flexible products to accommodate dimensional changes of the wood. Roughening the surface is also important. For plywood protection and other issues with plywood, see the recommendations from the Canadian Plywood Association (http://www.canply.org/pdf/main/plywood_handbookcanada.pdf).
  • Finger-jointed products: Coatings may perform differently on different parts of these products, as they are not likely to be uniform in grain orientation, in heartwood versus sapwood content, or even in species.  Roughen the surface to extend the life of the coating and minimize these differences. Apply primer and paint all sides if possible to minimize moisture absorption.

Effect of priming

  • Field tests have shown that coatings last much longer when a primer coat is used.
  • Field tests have shown that siding or shingles last much longer if they are back-primed.

Effect of design and installation

  • Use good design and installation practices to protect wood from sunlight and water, and prevent moisture accumulation in wood structures.
  • By providing adequate clearance to grade, adequate roof overhang, rainscreen wall and back-priming, the coating life on siding can be effectively extended.
  • If using flat grain, place the bark side out if possible to avoid raised grain.
  • Use corrosion-resistant fasteners.
Terms of Use
The 2025 Ottawa Wood Solutions Conference will be presented on February 5, 2025 at the National Arts Centre
Wood Solutions Conference Ottawa 2025
Wood Design & Building Magazine, vol 23, issue 94
Buildings
Environmental Issues
Treated Wood
Treated Wood
Environmental product declarations (EPDs)
Assessing and Restoration of Decay
Choosing and Applying Exterior Wood Coatings
Factory Finishing
Performance Factors

Terms of Use

By accessing and using this website and website content (collectively, the “Website”), you are deemed to have agreed to these terms and conditions of use (the “Terms of...

The 2025 Ottawa Wood Solutions Conference will be presented on February 5, 2025 at the National Arts Centre

December 19, 2024 (Ottawa) - The 2025 Ottawa Wood Solutions Conference will be presented on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, at the National Arts Centre...

Wood Solutions Conference Ottawa 2025

Wood Design & Building Magazine, vol 23, issue 94

Buildings

Wall Types for Water Control Building envelope experts generally speak of three or four different approaches to design of a wall for moisture control. Face seal...

Environmental Issues

Safe Handling Using common sense and standard safety equipment (personal protection and wood-working machinery) applies when working with any building products. Gloves, dust...
Treated Wood

Treated Wood

When you want to use wood that is not naturally decay resistant in a wet application (outdoors, for example) or where it may be at risk for insect attack, you need to specify...

Environmental product declarations (EPDs)

EPD Link An Industry Average EPD for Canadian Pre-fabricated Wood I-Joists [epdlink...

Assessing and Restoration of Decay

Sometimes it happens – wood in service suffers from decay. How can you identify decayed wood and what are the recommended actions to take? First, be sure you actually have...

Choosing and Applying Exterior Wood Coatings

Choosing a coating depends on what appearance is desired and what level of maintenance would be tolerable.  For many people, the basic choice is paint versus stain. The...

Factory Finishing

Select heartwood where possible to minimize nutrient content of wood surfaces and prevent nutrients migrating through the coating to support fungal growth on the surface....

Performance Factors

How long will an exterior wood coating last?  Anywhere from a few months to 20 years or more, depending on the choice of product, how it was applied, and how severe the...

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