The methacrylation of wood was investigated as a method of modifying timber in order to improve its mechanical properties. Samples of pine and spruce wood were impregnated under vacuum with methyl methacrylate monomer using azodiisobutyronitrile as an initiator. Samples cured at moderately elevated temperature (70°C) were conditioned and tested for a number of physical characteristics. Weight percent gains (WPG) of over 80% were observed with pine and over 70% with spruce. In spruce wood in particular, the WPG achieved was dependent on the presence of juvenile or mature wood in the samples. In Three-point bending tests methacrylation significantly increased the modulus of rupture (Fig 1) and modulus of elasticity (Fig 2) values compared to untreated control samples. Compression strength and Janka hardness values were also significantly increased by methacrylate impregnation in both spruce and pine, although the effect was more pronounced in the pine samples