MERANTI is a wood species belonging to the family Dipterocarpaceae, in the genus SHOREA (Shorea spp.). The genus has approximately 196 species with four subgenera. The subgenus RUBROSHOREA is commonly named RED MERANTI (RM) and is found on the Malayan Island of Sarawak, Indonesia, with approximately 65 varieties (Symington 1943). According to Brazier (1956), the distribution of gross densities within wood of the RM group varies between 0.310 and 0.950 g/cm3. The aim of the project was to investigate the relationship between the gross density of RM wood used in the manufacture of window frames and its resistance to wood-destroying basidiomycete decay fungi. Wood was sorted into ten groups according to gross densities within the range 0.330 to 0.730 g/cm3. The wood was sourced from Mueller (1997) and the window frames from Indonesia. Wood of density 0.450 g/cm3 was especially significant in our research. European Norms EN 113, EN 350-1 and CEN/TC 38 N 1214 were used as evaluation criteria in our biological analyses. Fungal exposure tests included Coniophora puteana (Schum.) Karst., Gloeophyllum trabeum (Pers.) Mur., Tyromyces placenta (L.: Fr.) Pilat and Trametes versicolor (Fr.) Ryv.. Resistance to fungal decay was determined by measuring mass loss after incubation of wood specimens with each wood decay fungus. An inverse relationship was determined between gross density and mass loss with the fungal species C. puteana ad G. trabeum.

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