Throughout history, wherever wood has been available as a resource, it has found favor as a building material for its durability, strength, cost-competitiveness, ease-of-use, sustainability, and beauty.  Wood-frame and timber buildings have an established record of long-term durability. From the ancient temples of China and Japan built in the 1000s, and the great stave churches of Norway to the numerous  North American buildings built in the 1800s, wood construction has proven it can stand the test of time.

Although wood building technology has been changing over time, wood’s natural durability properties will continue to make it the material of choice.

This website helps designers, construction professionals, and building owners understand what durability hazards exist for wood, and describes durability solutions that ensure wood, as a building material, will perform well for decades, and even centuries, to come.

The Durability site is a joint CWC/ FPInnovations – website whose intent is to provide current information on the durability of wood products in order to ensure long service life of wood structures. The site is maintained and updated regularly by both groups, which ensures that architects, engineers, builders,and homeowners get answers to their inquiries regarding wood durability.