While certain wood species carry a reputation for being 'treatable' this normally refers to the sapwood. For most Canadian species, heartwood penetration is the major determinant of whether treatment meets Canadian, USA and Japanese standards and in this respect alpine fir turns out to be a treatable species. Alpine fir is the fir component of the Western Canadian spruce-pine-fir species mix. Since it is becoming an increasing component of the production in Northern British Columbia, added-value markets are being sought for this wood species. The study examines its suitability for pressure treatment. A comparison of the heartwood treatability of material from a number of locations showed that, in every case, incised alpine fir heartwood was more treatable than incised lodgepole pine heartwood from the same sawmill. Lodgepole pine is commonly treated in Western Canada. It is regarded as a 'treatable' species and is listed in both the Canadian and USA standards. However, alpine fir was found to be more consistent than lodgepole pine in meeting these standards. It therefore appears that incised alpine fir is eminently suitable for pressure treatment.

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