However, because sleepers were placed in or directly onto the ground, they often decayed quickly as termites and fungi devoured the wood.  In the 18th and early 19th centuries the life of a sleeper could be extended by either using a very dense wood like black locust or a rot resistant wood such as walnut or cedar.  In the case of the restored ca. 1797 Cellar floor at Montpelier, the restoration team used a different method and instead of period materials they chose to use modern pressure-treated pine lumber wrapped in tar paper.  Why would the Restoration Team abandon the use of Madison-era materials in this instance when they had gone to such great lengths to accurately restore other portions of the house?