Creating a new wooden patio might be a difficult task. You want it to be long-lasting and the proper size, but that isn’t always simple with natural materials.
Nature tends to modify things over time, but a Dutch company has found a way around that.
They developed Accoya, a wood product that is fully natural but delivers great performance and more benefits than negatives. Check out our blog post for more information.
What is an Accoya product?
We’re sorry to disappoint you if you believe Accoya was a miraculous wood species discovered in the middle of nowhere.
Accoya decking is a wood product transformed through a particular technique rather than a variety of wood. Accoya is made from a fast-growing variety of pine known as radiata pine.
It grows in forests, such as those in New Zealand, and may be harvested within the first 25 years, making it a plentiful and rapidly renewing resource.
Is raw Radiata pine suitable for decking?
This pine wood is like other types of wood in its similar qualities. It also has hydroxyl groups that are found in nature.
These groups attract water and make the wood hydrophilic. This means that when the wood takes in water, the cellulose in the wood gets bigger.
The cellulose shrinks again when it dries. If the pine wood is used outside, like on a deck, it will repeatedly swell and shrink, which can cause it to crack, split, and warp over time.
So, there must be something different about Accoya wood that makes it so strong.
The Accoya Secret
Accoya goes through a process called acetylation to make it last longer.
The wood is treated with acetic anhydride, which makes the wood have more acetyl groups resistant to water. The finished product has more acetyl groups and fewer hydroxyl groups.
The Radiata spruce, which is not very durable, is turned into Accoya, a modified wood product with great stability and durability.
Accoya can take in and give off less water than untreated radiata pine. Before going through this process, the pine wood must be dried out.
Because acetic anhydride reacts with the wood’s water and hydroxyl groups, the wood must be dried before it can be acetylated. Because the wood has less moisture, the process goes faster and costs less. Please find out more in our article about the origins of Accoya wood.
How ecological is Accoya’s manufacturing process?
The process of acetylation doesn’t use chemicals.
Instead, it uses vinegar and is a natural process. Accoya is also good for the environment because its main source material, radiata pine, grows much faster and is easier to find than other types of wood.
Because of this, no tropical forests have to be cut down to make Accoya. Also, Accoya can be used and recycled repeatedly and has a negative carbon footprint over its entire life cycle.
What are the advantages of Accoya?
The modified wood product, as previously stated, is highly dimensionally stable. It does not expand, compress, or distort in length or width.
Even after years, there is no swelling or shrinkage in Accoya. As a result, shadow gaps in patio floors remain evenly lovely over time. Furthermore, Accoya floors do not fracture or splinter.
Accoya floors are ideal for those who prefer to walk barefoot because of their heat-insulating characteristics.
It’s also worth mentioning that the acetylation process does not degrade the cell structure; rather, it increases the hardness and stability of the wood while retaining flexural strength.
Accoya, rated as durability class 1, outlasts practically all tropical timbers, such as Bankirai, Cumaru, and others.
The manufacturer’s trust in its quality is reflected in its guarantee, which includes a 50-year warranty for above-ground use and a 25-year warranty for Accoya wood items used underground or in freshwater, assuming correct installation.
What are the disadvantages of Accoya?
Accoya is a sort of wood that has been acetic acid-treated, as discussed on this page. This procedure has many advantages, but it also has some disadvantages.
For example, you may detect a faint acetylation odor. Accoya wood can also induce corrosion in metal constructions that come into touch with it due to its acetic acid concentration.
It’s critical to be aware of the potential drawbacks of Accoya before using it; therefore, read the article “The Biggest Accoya Wood Disadvantages.”
Worth recommending!
“From our perspective, the decades of Accoya research have proven well worth it.
We’ve used it widely in gardens and found it a dependably high-performing wood product with a wide range of desirable features.
Its dimensional stability and durability are two of its most notable characteristics. Check out this link for some of its practical applications: Inspiring Examples of Accoya decking in Gardens.”