"Thermal modification is not a new invention, but its relevance has increased as expectations around performance, sustainability, and predictability have tightened. Developers, architects, and contractors are no longer just asking whether timber looks good or performs well initially. They want to know how it behaves after ten, twenty, or thirty years, and how much risk it introduces into a project once the scaffolding is gone."
"At its core, thermal modification is a relatively simple idea. Timber is heated to high temperatures in a controlled environment, altering its internal structure. Sugars and other compounds that attract moisture and decay organisms are reduced, leaving a material that absorbs less water and behaves more consistently as conditions change. This matters because moisture is at the heart of most timber problems."
Thermally modified timber is produced by heating wood at high temperatures in a controlled environment, altering its internal chemistry by reducing sugars and moisture-attracting compounds. The process lowers the wood's equilibrium moisture content, so it absorbs less water and shows less swelling, shrinkage, surface checking, and distortion as conditions change. The modified material retains wood's appearance but behaves more predictably, improving long-term stability and resistance to decay. Growing industry adoption reflects higher expectations for performance, sustainability, and predictability, with developers and contractors prioritizing how timber will perform over decades rather than only its initial appearance.
Read at Business Matters
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