Requirements for a Good Preservative

A good preservative should fulfil the following requirements:

1. It should be safe to the user.
2. It should not have unpleasant smell.
3. It should be non-inflammable.
4. It should be capable of penetrating into the fibres.
5. It should not corrode the metal pieces attached to the timber.
6. It should allow other materials such as paints or varnishes to be applied on it.
7. It should not be washed away by water.
8. It should not get deteriorated by heat, light, etc.
9. It should not reduce the strength of timber and warp the structure.
10. It should be cheap and easily available in the market.