What is Accoya?
Accoya is the global brand in ‘modified’ high technology timber. For exterior joinery it offers exceptional durability and stability, generally outperforming the very best tropical hardwoods. It is in effect the holy grail of joinery timber, in fact so good that a number of potential customers have simply refused to believe it is true.
Despite the timber’s very impressive credentials, it is still a very sustainable material. Accoya starts life as Radiata pine, plantation grown in New Zealand. The ‘modification’ process itself, known as ‘acetylation’ is carried out in The Netherlands. Although the exact process is a closely guarded trade secret, put very simply, the process using acetic acid (essentially vinegar) blocks the open pores in the cell walls of the cellular fibre, thus preventing the wood from absorbing water i.e. no moisture – no movement. As a bonus, the wood is also no longer digestible and is therefore extremely durable.
As with most things, there is a slight downside and this tends to be the price. Accoya has actually been around for quite a few years, but until recently tropical hardwoods tended to be preferred simply because of price. However, things are changing, as people become more aware of the importance of protecting the rainforests they don’t want to use the wood from them. Plus, as more restrictions are put on the cutting down of the rainforests, supplies of good quality timber species from them are becoming shorter in supply. This, by definition, drives up their price and brings it more in line closer to Accoya and thus makes this material more affordable. As stated above, Accoya is plantation grown – in effect it is grown as a crop, when one ‘harvest’ is cut down a new ‘crop’ is planted.
For anybody that wants a more detailed description or doesn’t believe me, simply Google ‘Accoya’ or alternatively visit the manufacturers website www.accoya.com