The susceptibility of wood painted with model paints of known composition to decay fungi was tested without previous weathering. Included in the study were five alkyd emulsion paints and five acrylic paints; one linseed oil paint and two solvent-borne alkyd paints. It was found that several components influenced the susceptibility of these paints. The results of the present study indicate that the particle size of latex paints, the pigment volume concentration and the amount and type of surfactant in the water-borne paints are critical for colonisation by decay fungi of painted wood. An anion surfactant was somewhat fungicidal. The results are briefly discussed in relation to major paint components and to available knowledge of the properties of water-borne coatings on wooden substrates. The present study is part of a larger project aiming at improvement of the durability of painted wood.

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