Let's talk about THERMOWOOD! This eco-friendly, light, durable and absolutely gorgeous wood you can have as facade of your tiny house.
THERMOWOOD IS MADE in special furnaces where the wood is heated to 180 - 230° C for several days. The addition of steam prevents cracking and the oxygen content in the air is kept low to prevent the wood from burning up. In the process, the chemical properties of the cell walls in the wood are changed. This is the cause for its improved resistance and durability. Since the material is natural and safe, and during processing the effect is conducted by temperature (not chemicals), the wood remains environmentally friendly. It also preserves the pleasant smell of natural wood.
PROS & PONS
Due to the production process mentioned above, thermowood has a great resistance and durability to both rain, sun and wind. But also against rotting, fungus and insects! The heating destroys the nutrients for fungi and rot so that they have a very hard time attaching, developing and growing. Since the wood becomes 40-60% less wet during processing it becomes lighter - it is up to 7% lighter than untreated timber, which is a big plus when trying to stay under the 3,5t weight limit of house that you want to pull behind the car. Due to the small amounts of water thermowood contains and absorbs, the dimensional stability is increased by 50%. This dimensional stability also means that the wood does not crack. ThermoWood has larger pores than untreated wood. Which means that the insulation capability is increased by up to 30%. Since heat-treated wood has improved form stability, there is also less risk of cracks occur- ring in constructions made from it. This in turn improves insulation qualities even further.
In terms of durability the heat treatment extends the wood’s longevity in comparison to untreated wood: the greater the heat, the more durable the wood. After treatment, thermowood is beautifully golden-brown straight through and does not need to be painted for protection. If you anyway would like to give it some color, the paint stays on better, because the wood does not contain any resin that can cause the paint to flake off.
In addition to all the above mentioned, thermowood is all natural and non-toxic as no harmful chemicals are used in the production. But as always, nothing is perfect. This product is in a higher price range than other materials. During production the wood also loses some of its flexibility and the dryness will also make it more difficult to obtain a beautiful saw cut. This only applies if you are building your own house obviously.
In conclusion, it is an eco-friendly, light, durable and absolutely gorgeous product that will take a bite out of your budget.
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