The interaction of combining through-boring and Boultonizing treatment effects on strength properties was investigated. Small, clear Douglas fir beams were through-bored and/or Boultonized in full factorial design and evaluated for toughness, MOE and MOR. The simulated through-boring treatment lowered the mechanical properties but the Boultonizing process did not. There was also no evidence for a negative synergistic interaction of the through-boring and Boultonizing treatments. These data suggest that there is no need for concern about combining through-boring and Boultonizing treatments for Douglas fir utility poles, and actually may help industry further as the results also suggest that commonly applied mechanical property reductions for Boultonizing treatments may not be necessary.

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