What is BS EN 73 about?
BS EN 73 specifies an evaporative ageing procedure, applicable to test specimens of wood and wood-based products which are subsequently subjected to biological tests.
Note: The method can also be used for pre-conditioning of untreated wood, modified wood and wood-based panel products, whether they received preservative treatment or not.
Who is BS EN 73 for?
BS EN 73 on the evaporative ageing procedure for accelerated ageing of treated wood is useful for:
- Wood and wood products manufacturers
- Quality control laboratories
Why should you use BS EN 73?
Wood is a renewable material, with many end-uses from furniture, craft, and art to building purposes.
BS EN 73 specifies accelerated ageing of treated wood prior to the biological testing evaporative ageing procedure for the durability of wood and wood-based products, on the protective efficacy of wood preservatives, and, on termite control products that help to use it in craft, art for building purposes and manufacturing wood and wood products.
Wood treatment has to be tested in order to determine its efficacy before being put on the market, it needs to go through different chemical and physical tests, ageing and biological tests, as well as eco-toxicological evaluation. Depending on the use class where the wood will be utilized, different biological and ageing tests are required which are provided by BS EN 73.
To reproduce the ageing of treated wood, BS EN 73 provides an evaporation procedure, that reproduces the action of a warm airflow onto treated wood which is used in manufacturing wood products and used in building purposes.
What is changed since the last update?
BS EN 73:2020 supersedes BS EN 73:2014, which is withdrawn.
BS EN 73:2020 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 73:2014. These include:
- Change of title
- Inclusion of untreated wood, modified wood and wood-based panel products in the Scope
- Inclusion of a statement regarding the maximum period of time permitted between the completion of the ageing procedure and the start of the biological test procedure
- Inclusion of a requirement that this period of time be stated in the biological test report