From Forest to Floor: How Forestry Timber Protects Wood Against Pests and Mould

Wood is a natural and beautiful material, but it’s also an organic material—meaning that if it is left untreated and in its natural state at harvest, it could be vulnerable to pests, fungi, and mould. At Forestry Timber, we go to great lengths to ensure our engineered wood floors are not only beautiful, functional, and long-lasting but also clean, safe, and protected against any contaminants that could compromise the integrity of the wood.

Our treatment process—from raw material preparation to packaging and export—is built on decades of research and industry best practices. Here’s how we prepare every board to ensure they are stable, resilient, and ready to serve as the foundation of your space for years to come.

Hevea Brasiliensis Plantation

Our engineered floors are constructed with a hevea brasiliensis, also known as rubberwood, core, sourced from sustainable plantations in Indonesia. This dense, structurally stable timber is ideal for use in engineered flooring, but its naturally high sugar content necessitates thorough treatment to ensure long-term performance and durability.

Borax and Boric Acid Treatment: All Hevea wood undergoes an intensive pressure treatment using borates, a natural compound known for its effectiveness in killing fungi, wood borers, and mould spores. The treatment is performed in a vacuum/pressure chamber, ensuring deep penetration and long-term protection. This process in the pressure chamber not only eliminates biological risks but also enhances durability.

Hevea Core

After the hevea wood undergoes the borate treatment, it moves on to the next phase—kiln drying. Both the borate-treated hevea core and the timber face layer are carefully kiln-dried to remove moisture, one of the primary culprits behind mould and pest contamination.

The hevea core is dried and its moisture is reduced to 6–10%, with sustained temperatures up to 80–90°C over approximately 10 days. Face materials are also dried for 6–10 days, depending on species and initial moisture levels, targeting a final 6% moisture content. This process not only stabilises the wood but ensures that any trace biological material becomes non-viable—incapable of growth under normal indoor humidity (35–55%).

Once our borate-treated core and face veneers have been kiln-dried to the ideal moisture content, they move into production for heat-bonding. First, the back veneer is pressed to the core at 80–100 °C for two minutes. Next, the face veneer is bonded under the same conditions for four minutes. This two-stage thermal process not only creates a solid structural bond but also delivers an extra dose of heat treatment, further neutralising any lingering biological agents that could deteriorate the natural material.

Side profile showcasing precision‑bonded veneers

After hot-pressing, each plank is carefully sanded and edged to achieve a smooth, even finish. Next, final finishing treatments—which seal the wood and enhance its appearance—are applied in acclimatised storage rooms, ensuring stable moisture levels and maintaining cleanliness, ensuring each board remains contamination‑free. At this point, any remaining mould spores are rendered dead and encapsulated—like trace dust—and cannot activate under normal home conditions.

Note: The occasional blue-grey staining sometimes visible in the core is a natural characteristic of Hevea and not a sign of mould.

Ephesus – Lifestyle Collection

Our efforts to protect the flooring don’t end at production; we work to ensure our floors arrive as clean and pristine as when they left our facility. Finished boards are heat-shrink wrapped, boxed, and palletised, maintaining internal moisture levels and cleanliness. All exports are fumigated according to ISPM 15 international standards, with a Fumigation Certificate provided. These precautions ensure that no pests or pathogens are introduced during transit.

Thanks to this rigorous process—from borate treatment and kiln drying to hot pressing and sealed packaging—every board shipped by Forestry Timber is biologically stable and guaranteed mould and pest-resistant. And with our process being recognised by the “Green Collection Award” at Domotex in Germany, it’s also a win for the environment. Our hevea core is one of the most eco-conscious and stable materials used in flooring today, with over 30 years of proven performance in high-end applications.

When you choose engineered wood flooring from Forestry Timber, you’re not just choosing beauty and sustainability—you’re choosing protection, performance, and peace of mind. Every plank is thoughtfully treated, tested, and packaged to ensure it arrives clean, dry, and ready to perform—no pests, no mould, no surprises.

View our incredible lineup of engineered wood flooring here.