A material with new properties is obtained by retification process. It consists of a light pyrolysis of wood which becomes more stable and especially more resistant to fungal attack with few decrease of mechanical properties. Tests were carried out on three susceptible wood species (Poplar, Spruce, Fir) that are used in construction and are difficult to treat with wood preservatives. Retified wood samples with different carbonisation degrees were exposed to Basidiomycetes fungal strains. They showed a very good resistance. This very interesting property would be used with success to promote non durable and unimpregnable wood species. An optimization of the treatment would improve the technic in relation to conferred durability.

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