Thermally modified timber
This type of timber modification enables us to use various species of European wood in completely new ways.
How does thermal modification take place?
Thermal modification involves heat-treating the timber. Before treatment, the timber must be carefully dried until
the residual moisture content is between six and eight per cent.
The timber is then placed in a specially constructed chamber and heated to temperatures of usually between 190 and 215°C.
This process does not involve the use of any chemicals. It is therefore completely natural.
What actually happens to the timber?
This heat-treating changes the structure of the timber and decreases the hemicellulose (sugar compound) content. Furthermore,
thermal modification changes the colour of the wood, making it darker. The darkness of the wood depends on the temperature and the duration
of the treatment. The higher the temperature or the longer the duration, the darker the wood.
What are the advantages of thermally modified timber?
- The timber becomes more resistant to mould and fungi, so species of wood that would not be suitable for outside use in their natural state can be used outdoors.
- Swelling and shrinkage is also reduced.
- The timber absorbs less moisture and the equilibrium moisture content decreases.
- Thermal modification causes the predominantly light-coloured European species of wood to become much darker, making them an interesting and ecologically acceptable alternative to tropical hardwoods.