Wood is good. The possibilities it offers can be seen wherever we look: as sturdy decks or decorative trims, winter fuel or stylish furniture, musical instruments or industrial structures, window frames or walking sticks. Wood is a material that is both aesthetically appealing and endlessly practical. It is also our only naturally renewable construction resource.
The natural beauty and versatility of wood are fundamental to its universal popularity. When properties such as high strength, light weight and good insulation are required, wood becomes the ideal choice for many applications. Unfortunately, these compelling attributes are offset by the susceptibility of many wood species to deterioration, particularly when used outdoors.
Historically, the use of inherently durable tropical hardwoods and the application of toxic chemicals to non-durable woods have provided partial solutions to the problem of durability. However, the wood’s dimensional stability is not improved and toxins create a disposal problem.
If an alternative existed which was sourced from sustainable forests, had zero toxicity and provided dimensional stability and durability that exceeded even the best tropical woods, a perfect material would have been found.
Accoya® wood is such a material - a “new wood species” whose performance credentials have been extensively researched and repeatedly demonstrated. Accoya® wood has properties that match those of the best tropical hardwoods, yet is manufactured using a non-toxic treatment and wood from sustainable sources. In fact, it may seem too good to be true… but Accoya® wood really exists.
Accoya® wood is the result of more than 75 years' research and development that have brought together a long-established and extensively researched wood modification technique, acetylation, and leading-edge technologh to create and make this extraordinary "new wood species" commercially available for the first time.
Accoya® wood is set to become the material of choice for exterior applications and can be used for virtually anything, from windows to doors, decking to cladding and even for applications which are presently the preserve of non-sustainable materials.
Accoya® wood is perfect for outdoor use, with the performance of the best tropical hardwoods and much more besides:
- Class 1 durability - the best available
- Outstanding dimensional stability which dramatically improves coatings adhesion and product performance
- Lasting for 50 years above ground and 25 years in-ground
- Environmental compatibility - non-toxic, 100% recyclable and sourced from sustainable forests
- Consistent, measurable quality all the way through the wood, not just at the surface
- Retained natural strength and beauty, increased hardness
- Consistent supply from sustainably managed forests and plantations
Accoya® wood is modified all the way through, not just at the surface layer like many alternative treatments. This modification technique has two key advantages:
1. Users of Accoya® wood can have absolute confidence in the wood's durability in a way that has not previously been possible. Accoya® wood's durability is validated in a laboratory after the process has taken place. Using an array of sophisticated and proven analytical techniques, Accoya® wood's producers ensure that every batch is of consistent quality and reaches the highest possible performance standards.
2. When Accoya® wood is cut or jointed there are no exposed non-acetylated surfaces in any dimension. This completely negates the need to apply additional chemical preservatives on-site, as is necessary with unmodified or envelope-treated woods.
Dimensional stability - swelling and shrinkage reduced by 75% or more
- doors and windows open effortlessly year round
- paints and varnishes last 3 or 4 times longer, greatly reducing maintenance costs
Class 1 durability - the most durable wood possible
- more durable than teak
- perfect for outdoor use
Mould and insect durability - Accoya® wood is indigestible to insects and micro-organisms and is therefore more durable
- resistance to wood destroying fungi is dramatically increased
- Accoya® wood is virtually rot-proof
Machinability - Accoya® wood is easy to machine and creates no challenges for product manufacturers and end users
Non-toxic - Accoya® wood is non-toxic, protecting the environment from the harmful effects of poisons leaching into the earth
- Accoya® wood may be safely reused and recycled
Resistance to UV degradation - Accoya® wood has superior resistance to the effects of UV exposure, meaning that the wood’s natural appearance is retained for longer
- Accoya® wood is the ultimate substrate
Naturally insulating - Accoya® wood has reduced thermal conductivity
- Accoya® wood is ideal for windows and cladding, where energy conservation is important
Strong and beautiful as nature intended - the process does not compromise the wood’s strength or natural beauty; hardness is increased
- Accoya® wood’s high strength to weight ratio makes it suitable for challenging external applications, such as road traffic bridges
For further information on this new product, please contact your local depot or click below to download brochures :