Abstract

With the housing sector getting an impetus, demand for timber in house construction is increasing every year. In Kerala, when teak wood became out of reach of common man aini and jack became accepted 'substitutes' for 'standard' teak. Studies conducted at the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) have shown that rubber wood can be easily treated with preservative chemicals either by diffusion method or by vaccum pressure method to give protection against fungi and insects. Treated rubber wood can be used for furniture, panels, joinery, household utility items etc. For purposes like rural houses, temporary sheds, cow sheds, workshop buildings, farm buildings, etc., where sawn wood in unfinished form could be used, coconut wood is the most suitable material cost wise. The study conducted at KFRI showed that wilt-disease did not have any adverse effect on the strength of wood, and the wilt-diseased palms could become a major source of industrial timber. Homesteads are