Mould attack is a very common cause of discoloration on wooden surfaces and can subsequently promote development of wood decay by other organisms. Prevention of mould growth is relevant for both pigmented wood paints as well as more transparent systems with a high or low amount of binder. The use of commercial biocides has led to effective microbiological inhibition in many contexts, but the increased focus in recent years on phasing out biocides has led to an increased demand for accurate and rapid test methods to screen new environmentally friendly alternatives. In this comparative study, we assess a test method for testing effects of mould-inhibiting technologies. The method is evaluated in three different environments. In this study, a thorough assessment, of methods for testing mould-inhibiting technologies for wood protection is conducted. The test method has been carried out on field trials in temperate (Denmark) and tropical (Malaysia) climate zones, respectively, and in Laboratory conditions in a mould chamber. In this test setup, a transparent surface treatment is applied to Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), sapwood. Test panels are exposed for 2 month (Denmark and Malaysia) and 6 weeks (mould chamber) respectively. The testing in Denmark will continuing for the additional 10 month. The results show significant correlations between results from the three locations and reveal interesting possibilities for accelerated test methods, as the results from tropical environment and mould chamber results are ready after approximately two months. Both the tropical and the mould chamber test can be considered to be an accelerated version of exterior field test in a temperate climate zone. Differences between “good” and “poor” treatment technologies are evident in both mould chamber and tropical tests, however the differences are easier to access and identify in the tropical test, which makes that method particularly useful as an accelerated test.

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