searching for a antimicrobial wood species?

[nydesign]

I was asked to build a bed and make the platform part out of antimicrobial wood.
First I was thinking something along the lines of a tough hardwood.
I've spent some time searching for information on antimicrobial woods and have not come up with much.
The best info I found so far was a report on cutting boards. The summery was that wood allowed bacteria to fall into it's
cells on the cutting board, from there the bacteria would get trapped, not be able reproduce and would die.

Using that info I guess almost any wood species could be considered antimicrobial.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I don't know if one species is more antimicrobial than another but the reason
that wood cutting boards are superior to plastic is that wood absorbs and dissipates
the moisture that bacteria need to thrive.

The tiny ditches that knives cut into plastic traps that moisture creating little wet
greenhouses for the microbes.

 

[andvari]

I was asked to build a bed and make the platform part out of antimicrobial wood.

Sounds like something poisonous or allergenic.

 

[nydesign]

That's interesting about the plastic cutting boards.

The client is very green conscience and wants the platform part/slats to be left unfinished.
That makes having a wood that stays 'cleaner' important to her.

I thought using maple would be a good choice. My thinking is it's regularly used for cutting boards so it has properties
that should work for an unfinished microbe fighting bed frame  [big grin]

 

[Michael Kellough]

I guess a wood that is resistant to decay would be more antimicrobial?

In that case Black Locust is something to consider, especially since the client is interested in ecology.
BL is actually a member of the pea family and it's decay resistance is legendary.

 

[Kev]

I have it on good authority that Paul Marcel is antimicrobial. He comes in regular dressed lengths, no laminated finishes - but there is video of him completely plastered.

In all seriousness, I think this is all about a treatment. Something like Biotex (local to Oz is all I know) is an antimicrobial surface treatment for timber that actively breaks down microbes by rupturing the cells.

I'm guessing this is for an asthma sufferer?

Anyway, the timber of the bed would probably be the carrier of 0.1% of the potential microbes ... as for the mattress and pillows, well ...

 

[hockey_magnet]

I was asked to build a bed and make the platform part out of antimicrobial wood.
First I was thinking something along the lines of a tough hardwood.
I've spent some time searching for information on antimicrobial woods and have not come up with much.
The best info I found so far was a report on cutting boards. The summery was that wood allowed bacteria to fall into it's
cells on the cutting board, from there the bacteria would get trapped, not be able reproduce and would die.

Using that info I guess almost any wood species could be considered antimicrobial.

Sounds a bit loony to me. The bed frame is the least of their worries compared to other components. But I'd go with Maple as it is well proven for cutting boards, etc. , is fairly readily available compared to some of the exotics - I read somewhere that olive wood has antimicrobial properties but I doubt it would be practical to find enough to make a bed with,

 

[davee]

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874100002944

The above link provides an extract of a document about antimicrobial properties in wood the First Nation individuals used in medicine.  A subscription or purchase is required to read the article, but says that Juglans cinerea or Butternut had the broadest spectrum.  Might be worth the purchase of the article if the project warrants. Butternut is a beautiful wood.  A bit soft, but easy to work with.

I agree with the others that I'd worry much more about other components than the frame! 

 

[Woodenfish]

Antimicrobials are widely available as surface treatments.

Have you given thought to coating any wood surface with a antimicrobial polyurethane finish?

Google "Microban" and check their business partners for wood finish applications that fit your needs.

 

[nydesign]

the client wants to stay au natural, they want the wood under the mattress unfinished.

a finish would introduce chemicals which they want to avoid, it's a 'green' project.

I'm going to price some of the woods suggested here, and let them decide how much they want to spend.
I have a hunch maple will be the winner.