In a developing country like Bangladesh more than 80 % of the total population lives in rural areas where building materials are mainly comprised of wood, bamboo, thatch grass, golpata, etc. All these materials, being cellulosic, are easily infected by deteriorating agencies like fungi, termites, beetles etc., as climatic condition of the country is ideal for their thrive. This is a great wastage of our forest resources, which directly affect the economy and environmental situation of the country. The service life is significantly affected by constructional design, selection of wood and their preservative treatment. For most constructions there is an expected service life. A systematic study on current status of using treated wood and private house owner’s expectations in Bangladesh reveals that private house owners expect long service lives of their constructions. About 32 % of them believe that a service life between 10 and 20 years was sufficient but nearly 68 % want the constructions to last for more than 20 years. The main reason for replacement of a wooden construction was said to be fungal decay. Study also shows that none of the house owners of Bangladesh use appropriately preservative treated wood for their construction due to their ignorance, as they are not aware of preservative treatment information and technology.

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