There are some choices in protecting and drying rubber wood. The exact method to be used depends upon the rubber wood available, in size and quality. Originally its utility in India, has been restricted mostly to use as firewood but with the development of processing technology the wood is gaining importance as a joinery and furniture timber. Availability and cost make it a good wood to use. The light-straw to light-brown coloured wood has very acceptable machining properties, its strength being equal to other light hardwoods. It laminates easily and accepts decorative finishes without any grain or density problems. However, due to its susceptibility to insect and fungal attack soon after it is felled, rubber wood has disrepute and this has prevented its widerspread use. The timber is most easily treatable and a variety of methods have been developed to treat it, from diffusion of Boron compounds, dipping and spraying with organic-solvent based chemicals and vacuum pressure methods with various preservatives. The common commercially used preservative treatments for rubber wood are CCA Salts, Antiblu-Antiborer, solvent based preservatives and Boric acid/Boric/Sodium pentachlorophenate solutions. The development of the synthetic pyrethroid products, (Hickson's Antiblu/Antiborer) after many tests, have resulted in a highly effective treatment for rubber wood. It has been found that the prophylactic treatment is best applied at the forest floor. The timber can be pressure impregnated even with a moisture content of about 55 to 60;, using CCA salts. The drying of rubber wood is to be conducted very carefully, for which heat pumps are recommended as heat pumps very gently remove water from rubber wood, which other systems normally cannot.