FEATURE MODIFIED WOOD
Measuring Value Today’s modified woods are able to meet many of the constituents of value now being demanded by specifiers and are easily available to provide a range of construction solutions.
W
ith the launch of the Construction Innovation
used unseen as a reliable liner for architectural landscaping planters,
Hub’s Value Toolkit at the end of April, researched
sited in a development close to the entrance of London’s Hammersmith
and compiled with the help of government and
Broadway station. It was chosen as a sustainable, long-life alternative to
construction industry experts, the definition of ‘value’
plastics and metal. The MTX product can also achieve a lifetime of up to
in construction is certainly being broadened.
50 years outdoors in all weathers when not in contact with soil.
Modified woods and wood products, with their extended lifespans, and low impact end-of-life environmental profiles, deliver a non-plastic,
Homegrown timber
renewable and sustainable alternative for all manner of projects.
Many specifiers are beginning to express a desire for the timber used
Kebony® and Accoya® with their specialised modification of wood,
in their projects to be homegrown, thus contributing to social value here
plus heat-treated alternatives such as IRO Timber and ThermoWood®,
in the UK. A success story manufactured in Britain from home-grown
each support the calculation of value in their own way. Manufactured
Larch, is heat-enhanced IRO Timber exterior and interior cladding and
from sustainably grown forests, with their inherent economic, social and
decking from BSW Timber. IRO, with its 10 colours, features an enhanced-
environmental value, modified woods also offer durability benefits in
grain surface appearance, blending naturally with interiors and exterior
terms of wear and tear, and at the end of their extended lives in use are
projects. Its seven-step manufacturing process, based on the ancient
able to become part of the circular economy.
Japanese Yakisugi technique, includes two stages of kiln-drying, charring, brushing, high pressure and high-heat treatments, all of which add to
Moving on from joinery
its aesthetic and longevity. IRO Timber is UV stable and HVOC-free. IRO
Accoya® acetylated wood, first launched in 2007, is now wellestablished in the joinery production sector. Yet it is Accoya’s
cladding can be side-fixed, rather than face-fixed, giving a smooth finish. The water repellent surface also offers easy cleaning.
performance in water, with its minimal swelling, shrinkage and warping, that has interested the Environment Agency. International Timber
Low lifecycle costs
teamed up with Accoya’s parent company Accsys and sustainability
Delivering value in construction is also about looking at maintenance
consultants 540 World to create an Accoya fender for a trial on the banks
aspects of products in use. Produced from sustainably grown and
of the River Thames in London. Fenders, part of the flood management
certified Pine, Kebony wood utilises a by-product of the sugar cane
assets in the Thames Estuary, also provide biodiversity niches in tidal
industry, furfuryl alcohol, to impregnate the softwood cell walls, locking
waters: Accoya is non-toxic. Accoya was also chosen because of its Gold
in natural polymers to form a stable, durable structure. The wood is
level Cradle to Cradle™ certification: the certification identifies products
then heated and cured, permanently thickening the cell walls by around
that consider the effects on the environment of their manufacture, and
50%, producing material with a 30-year warranty if used above ground.
which also take account of social value.
From a wear and tear perspective, the ‘Kebonization’ process particularly increases the hardness of the timber to levels associated with durable
Hidden assets
hardwoods. Its low maintenance needs, high durability and recyclability
Another modified product which demonstrates the lifespan of
combine to produce low whole-life costs. Available in Britain exclusively
modified woods is MEDITE® TRICOYA® EXTREME, often abbreviated to
through Brooks Brothers Timber, Kebony also has a low carbon footprint
‘MTX’, an exterior form of MDF. For example, colourful planters created
compared to tropical hardwoods.
from MTX and donated to Marlborough Sports Garden near London Bridge will see an entire generation of children grow up before they need
Modified woods are a natural addition to the specifier’s portfolio and can contribute to achieving a broad-based notion of value in construction.
to be replaced. MTX is acetylated MDF, formulated for use outdoors. It More at www.thewpa.org.uk/wood-modification
offers up to a 25-year lifespan in contact with soil. MTX has also been
Timber Construction Magazine
Summer 2021
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