More about THE ANTI TEREDO SYSTEM.

The Anti Teredo System is a reinvention of an ancient way of how to avoid attack from marineborers in pilings.

As the pollution of the sea, earth and air is getting a major global problem many inventions made the last 60 to 80 years has to be reconsidered.

For many years CREOSOTE – a mineral oil product – was considered number one for protecting wood in salt water.

Creosote is now out of use in scandinavia as it has shown dangers – such as cancer – to the people involved with the handling of cresote impregnated timbers.

THE ANTI TEREDO SYSTEMISNON TOXIC !

A certain system of steel nails is applied to the surface of the wood.

It is believed to have its protective effect from the electrolytic reaction between the steel and the wood. A well known problem in wooden shipbuilding

Allmost all timbers are corrosive. Oak most corrosive but allso Douglas Fir and Larch are in the upper end of the scale. Theese 3 timbers are often used for marine pilings in europe and are most usefull in combination with the Anti Teredo System as this corrosiveness is exactly what we want to create that outer thickness of rustinfested wood which shows uneatable to the marineborers.

The teredine and other marine woodborers are able to digest/transform celluloseinto sugar and thus able to feed themselves on normal wood.

If the cellulose is being destroyed by the electrolytic action between the steel and the wood (rust) the teredine will have little reason to try and feed themselves on the rustinfested wood.

Experience from scandinavian waters where the system has been in use for generations and never has been totally out of use, show a service life of 35 to 40 yearsIF THE SYSTEM IS APPLIED CORRECTLY. If the correct density of the nails is not being respected the system will have little effect and the pilings will be penetrated both from teredine and limnoria.

IN THE LAGOON OF VENICEITALY THE ANTI TERDO TREATED PILINGS HAVE REACHED 12 YEARS WITH NO SIGN OF ATTACK IN TREATED SURFACES AND THE PILINGS ARE DOING FULL SERVICE IN HEAVY TEREDO INFESTED WATERS.

With modern tools and technology this old system has again prooved its value. Marinepilings can be protected from the attack from marineborers at reasonable cost, and WITHOUT USING TOXIC METHODS.

It should also be remembered that the system because of its simplicity can be supplied in far away places where electricity or other energy may not be at hand.

The cost of the system/cost of timber/cost of labour ratio is of course different in different places of the world as timber prices and labour costs vary.

For the lagoon of Venice the economical experience for adapting the system in general indicates that if the pilings last just 2 more years on top of the 7 years normally experienced in Venice the system has paid for itself !

If 35 years or more can be expected the advantage to the ownerof the pilings seems obvious !!

With fieldtests, practical experience and know how at hand a complete on the spot consultation on the matter is offered through out the world.

40 years of experience in woodenship building and wooden construtions in salt water.

Please do not hesitate to contact for any further information.

Michael Kiersgaard, Marine Surveyor of wooden ships.

E-mail: mkmarine@tiscalinet.it