Over the last ten years an increasing number of sites with well preserved waterlogged deposits have been excavated. These have produced large numbers of finds of organic materials, which have put new demands on existing conservation resources. Freeze-drying is one of the methods that has been developed to preserve waterlogged organic materials for study and display. It is quicker than the traditional PEG impregnation methods and on the whole the results are more reliable. To get consistently good results, however, a range of factors including the wood species and its condition have to be taken into consideration. There are some objects which are best treated by other methods and these are discussed, as well as the storage and display conditions required for freeze-dried wood.