All You Need to Know about Accoya Timber

At Rural Timber we are passionate about three things: traditional joinery craft, sustainable timber, and of course, the modern technology that helps us produce the best possible windows, doors, conservatories and joinery solutions we can create. Accoya timber is a key material that allows us to combine all of the things that we love the most about timber joinery.
Accoya is an innovative, sustainably sourced ‘super wood’ that we use for a wide range of projects. Needless to say, despite the many excellent qualities of Accoya timber, it is certainly not as widely known as the likes of Oak or Maple timbers, so we get asked a lot of questions. In this article, we will look at the most important facts you should know about Accoya.

Why is Accoya a Super Wood?

Whilst created from sustainably sourced softwood, Accoya matches or exceeds the qualities you would expect from hardwoods – it is highly durable, has excellent stability and is aesthetically beautiful. This type of timber is made through a non-toxic process called acetylation, where acetic anhydride from acetic acid reacts with the wood. The result is that the hydroxyls within the wood are changed into acetyl groups, rendering the wood more one dimensional and less absorbent, making it much more durable.

Durability and rot resistance
The acetylation process results in a wide range of benefits that makes Accoya an extremely long lasting, rot resistant timber:

● The ability to absorb water is reduced by 80%, helping increase rot resistance considerably
● Shrinking and swelling in different climates is considerably reduced
● Acetylation treatment also creates a natural insect barrier, preventing potentially damaging insect attacks
● Accoya is more UV resistant

As a result of these characteristics, Accoya timber can last for as long as 80 years!

Low maintenance
As a result of the characteristics described above, Accoya windows, doors and joinery require little maintenance when compared with other types of wood. As this timber is extremely non-absorbent, it is much easier to apply stains and varnish – at Rural Timber, we use water based paints and stains to colour and protect the wood without taking away from its natural beauty.
As a result of the acetylation process, the treated wood is much more durable than it was previously. With the ability to absorb water reduced by 80%, Accoya is designed to withstand any climate and to be rot resistant for many years. The treatment process that forms Accoya timber also makes the wood more resistant to UV, and swelling and shrinking in different climates is considerably reduced.

Thermal insulation
Wood is a natural insulator, however, Accoya timber is better than many other commonly used woods when it comes to thermal efficiency. If you are looking for windows and doors that help keep your energy bills down, and your home warm in the cooler months, there’s no better choice.

Sustainability
All softwood used to make Accoya is sourced from sustained forests and is 100% recyclable. As Accoya is highly durable and resistant to wood rot, it also means that windows, doors and other timber joinery will last for a long time without needing replacing. When it does reach the end of its use, it is suitable for composting.

Bespoke Timber Joinery Services
If you would like to find out more about timber joinery services, or arrange a quote for your property in Worcestershire or the surrounding counties, then you need look no further than Rural Timber Window Company. Call now on 01905 841199.