After three years in the compost heap, our wood samples had plenty of stories to tell. Testers estimated that the three-year duration was the equivalent of 5-10 years in the darkest wettest corner of the cockpit.

1. Our mystery wood tiles bought on eBay were virtually destroyed after 3 years (5-10 years in wet cockpit) in the compost heap. Epoxy or varnish barely helped.



2. Our treated firring strips showed some end-grain decay, but little loss of strength. From left, fir and glycol, fir and borate.



3. On the glycol and borate treated timber, epoxy seemed more prone to peeling than varnish.



4. Dark stains appeared on some varnished samples after their time in the compost heap, most likely due to moisture penetrating the coating. We did not see this reaction on varnished wood samples on the boat.



5. This borate rod protects a utility pole. These rods are most commonly used on non-pressure treated poles.