Thermal wood (thermal wood): technology, properties, scope

There are a lot of offers on the market of building and finishing materials for every taste, color, budget and scope. If a person does not want to save money, but plans to make repairs once and forget, then you need to select durable and wear-resistant materials.

One of these is the thermal tree. Therefore, today we will talk about its features, the technological cycle for turning a workpiece into a product, as well as the advantages and scope.

Get comfortable, it will be interesting.

What is a thermal tree

Wood has always been a popular building and renovation material. A man has been tarring logs for a long time, soaking them and burning them, but the scientific approach was not enough. But in the middle of the last century, a number of European scientists (Shtamm, Hansen, Kollman, Schneider) created a “hardened tree” (as they called it). The essence of hardening was to process the board with high temperatures under pressure in a sealed container. Oxygen was not supplied there to prevent the possibility of a fire.

As blanks, different types of wood are used (pine, aspen, ash, birch), each of which differs in natural characteristics and appearance. For the floor, for example, thermoash is perfect due to its increased wear resistance. Thermobirch or thermoaspen is suitable for wall decoration.

Heat treatment technology

There are German and American wood heat treatment technologies on the market, but the Finnish one has become more widespread. We have described its essence above.

Technological cycle:

1. The workpiece is placed in a sealed container.
2. High temperatures are fed into it at constant pressure (single-stage). If water vapor is also pumped into the tank, then this is a multi-stage treatment. In some cases, instead of steam, an inert gas at a pressure of 1.6 bar is supplied.
3. Excess moisture and polysaccharides, which stimulate wood decay, are removed from wood fibers.
4. Upon completion of the procedure, the temperature regime returns to normal, and the board cools down.

All stages of the production of thermal boards are shown in this video:

At the output, we have an external resemblance to wood, but in terms of mechanical, physical and aesthetic parameters, this is a completely different material. In the early days of wood heat treatment, chemicals were used to enhance the properties of the wood. Scientists succeeded, however, under UV rays, substances harmful to humans were released. Therefore, apart from steam, nothing is used now.

By adjusting the temperature regime, you can control the quality of the board and its appearance. There are three classes of thermotree:

1. The first is that temperatures up to 190 ℃ easily change the natural shade of the workpiece, and the improvement in properties is also minimal.
2. The second – temperature up to 210 ℃ increases the strength and resistance of the material to decay, it acquires a darker shade.
3. Third, temperatures up to 240 ℃ maximize the density, strength and hardness of wood fibers, the shade becomes dark and saturated.
   

At the same time, the shade of the wood is even throughout the depth of the board. If from time to time the top layer is erased, then a simple grinding will return the floor covering to its original appearance.

Advantages (properties) of heat-treated board

1. Environmental resistance – the structure of the tree is compacted, and the fibers no longer absorb water. If the board is left in water for a long time, it will accumulate no more than 8% of water by weight. Rains, snows and fogs the thermal tree tolerates calmly.
2. Pest resistance – thermoboards are not interesting for insects and microorganisms.
3. Dimensional stability – over time, a simple lining can be deformed, that is, crack or crack, play. The thermal tree is devoid of such a disadvantage.
4. Durability – even naturally soft wood species after heat treatment become more durable and resistant to mechanical stress. There are no dents or scratches on the surface of the modified boards.
5. Safety – the thermowood is slightly flammable, and chemicals harmful to humans are not released under UV rays.
6. Attractive appearance – due to heat treatment, the wood pattern looks clearer, the shade of the boards becomes more uniform and saturated.
7. Durability – due to the absence of monosaccharides, the thermowood does not rot and is not of interest to pests. The service life after processing is 35-50 years.

Application area

Thermowood is a universal material for the construction of outdoor structures, facade cladding, interior work, and improvement of the adjacent area. Let’s consider each option in more detail.

Facade from thermoboard

This is a heat-treated planken, an imitation of a bar or a lining. The facade lined with them does not require maintenance during operation, looks attractive, and does not dry out over time, the presence of rot is excluded.

Terraces, verandas and gazebos

The thermal board is resistant to precipitation and microorganisms, temperature extremes, which is especially noticeable for unheated buildings on the street. If this is a floor covering, then the boards do not dry out, they will not lead. It is also not necessary to cover and repaint the floor every season.

Wet rooms

Thermal wood does not heat up in baths, saunas and bathrooms due to low thermal conductivity, so shelves made of thermal boards will not burn the skin. Resistance to moisture and high air humidity prolongs the service life of heat-treated boards by an order of magnitude.

Thermowood garden paths

Paths in the local area speed up the movement, make it more convenient and functional, and also increase aesthetics. Thermowood is not afraid of increased loads and pressure, precipitation and moisture, temperature changes. The environmental friendliness of the technological process prevents the release of chemical compounds under the rays of the sun.

Thermowood Care

Thermal wood during its service life remains resistant to moisture, temperature extremes, pests, aggressive environments, but UV rays for boards are noticeable. Under their influence, the top layer of the boards burns out and turns gray. For a year under UV rays, the board burns out by 0.05-0.1 mm, while the structure remains the same, as well as strength characteristics.

The first variant of the struggle is periodic grinding, since the inside of the board has the same shade as on the front side. However, it will not be possible to endlessly peel off the top layer, so it is easier to use a natural protective teak oil intended for thermal boards.

The composition of natural ingredients is applied with a brush on the front side of the thermal board along the fibers. The first layer is applied teak oil, the second – the composition under the operating conditions (for external or internal work). The frequency of coloring depends on the operating conditions and the amount of sun falling on the board.

The composition does not form a protective film on the surface of the thermowood, which will rub or crack over time, on the contrary, it is absorbed into the board and protects it.

Where can I buy

Thermal wood is a versatile material for construction and decoration. It is only gaining popularity in Russia and the CIS. There are few domestic manufacturing companies, but there are. The Dobry Les company creates a thermal tree in the Vologda region. There is delivery throughout Russia through cooperation with transport companies. If the client doubts the quality of the material when buying online, he fills out an application for a free sample, and then decides on further cooperation.