Nowadays, teak wood including young teak from community forest has been
getting more widely utilized. Public opinion showed that teak wood from
community forests possess low quality and less durable because of its early
harvesting. Study on the natural durability of young teak on the various fields is
necessary. However, there is a lack of information on the natural durability of teak
wood from community forest to prove the public opinion.
This study was divided into 3 parts, i.e. the natural durability, weathering, and
preservation effort of teak wood from community forest. By considering the position
of wood on the axial direction of tree and sapwood-heartwood, the natural durability
of teak wood was determined by graveyard test for 6 months on two locations. The
weathering test of teak wood as mentioned on previous part was conducting
according to Johnson Method for 6 months by observing color and chemical
changing based on CIA L*a*b* system and Fourier Transfer Infrared Spectroscopy
(FTIR) analysis, respectively. Meanwhile, in order to improve the durability,
sapwood was treated with various boron concentrations by a bethel process and then
followed by graveyard test for 6 months. This study used completely randomized
design. Data were analyzed by variance analysis and followed by Tukey�s test.
The durability of teak wood from community forest was influenced by
heartwood-sapwood and the environmental conditions of graveyard test locations
where the wood applied. However, the teak wood durability was not influenced by
the position of wood on the axial direction. Teak wood from the bottom and upper
part of log showed no different in the natural durability. Both heartwood and
sapwood were attacked by subterranean termites in a month. Teak heartwood from
community forest could be classified in II durability class and sapwood was III-IV
durability class. Both heartwood and sapwood surfaces showed discoloration with
�Eab 15.6 and 19.34, respectively, after weathering. Wood surface experienced
discoloration on both sapwood and heartwood, the value were 15.60 and 19.34
respectively. After all, the color of teak wood become grey and dull due to the
photodegradation of lignin according to FTIR analysis. The weathering also
decreased the lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) of heartwood and
sapwood, 50.54 and 49.4