The heating of solid wood to higher temperatures is the simplest and the cheapest means for stabilizing its dimensions. For the investigation of the effect of thermal treatment on water repellency effectiveness and anti-swelling efficiency of beech wood (Fagus orientalis Lipsky), air-seasoned samples of beech wood were heated in presence of air at temperatures of 130 C, 150 C, 180 C and 200 C for different periods (2, 6, 10 h). Subsequently, the heated samples and their controls were immersed in water at 20 C, 65 % relative humidity for various periods. Percent of the tangential swelling and rate of the water absorption values of the test and control samples were determined for 2, 4, 8, 24, 48, 72 h on basis of oven-dried measurements. The heat treatment brought about a considerable reduction in water absorption and tangential swelling of the beech wood.

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