Structural timbers and other wood objects of cultural value in historical buildings and museums are often attacked by wood-destroying fungi. The aim of conservators is to preserve such damaged timbers and prevent further biodeterioration by impregnation with consolidants. There is little knowledge of the resistance of consolidated timber and art objects to a new attack by wood-destroying fungi. Brown-rotted wood consolidated with acrylic resins, PVA (poly(vinyl acetate)), epoxy resins, shellac, linseed oil, animal glue and a beeswax/paraffin mixture were tested against the brown-rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans. Specimens impregnated with linseed oil and the epoxy resins Araldit BY and Araldit DY did not show noticable mass loss. This was attributed to a high mass gain and even distribution of the consolidants. In contrast, specimens prepared with the acrylic resins Plexigum P-28 and Paraloid B-72 showed approximately 25% mass loss at a mass gain up to 40% because of uneven distribution in the wood. Decreases in mass loss were not proportional to increasing polymer loadings.

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