Stabilization of Hard Maple Flooring with Polyethylene Glycol 1000

摘要

The stabilization treatment of green hard maple 1- by 3-inch lumber with polyethylene glycol 1000 (PEG) and its subsequent use in flooring was examined. Sapwood was successfully treated in 10 days, then dried in 2 days without appreciable shrinkage, warp, or degrade. Heartwood could not be satisfactorily treated using any of the treating schedules tried in the study. Panels of the treated flooring, constructed to simulate actual installed conditions, performed well from the standpoint of expansion. Finish on the treated panels was unsatisfactory, softening slightly and developing wet spots where the hygroscopic polyethylene glycol seeped through and attracted moisture.