Wood contains two different forms of moisture referred to as "FREE WATER and BOUND WATER. Free water harbors in the fiber structure of the wood. Bound water is found in the Hydroxyl molecule that is the sole make up of cellular compounds.

Dakota Petriwood’s  Wood Preservative is a solvent treatment. Solvents displace free water from the fiber structure of wood. The silanes we use in the formulation are water scavengers. Since they are of extremely low molecular weight they are capable of penetrating the cell wall structure of the molecule and attacking the water inside the molecule. The water is replaced with a SI-Jel Matrix, a pliable compound made up of silicon and cedar oil. This phenomenon is created by a catalytic conversion that uses the bound water to trigger a hydrophobic reaction. The un-utilized excess water is then released and exits the wood in the form of ethanol gas. The Cedar Oil component of the formulation performs as a synergist which allows the solution to bond with the water and subsequently acts as a termiticide and fungicide that provides additional protection to the wood.

Summary: When the hydroxyl group molecule is stabilized, the wood is moisture free. The molecules hydrogen and oxygen tails are sealed from liquid or air borne moisture and cannot expand or contract as they would in non-stabilized wood. Subsequently, the absence of moisture is the absence of issues and the early stages of wood Petrification are triggered. Petrified wood is moisture free wood laced with silicone deposits.