BRE IP10/14 PDF

Introduction

There is ever-increasing pressure to reduce the environmental impacts associated with construction and the products and materials used in buildings. Wood-based products with enhanced performance characteristics offer an attractive route to lower-impact construction products and buildings. ThermoWood^® is a thermally modified timber (TMT), which is produced under licence and with the guidance of the International ThermoWood Association. This process began in Finland, the centre of ThermoWood^® production, but is now used in several countries.

Modified wood products[1] are increasingly being considered for end uses in domestic and commercial buildings in the UK. The key application, and one that is likely to grow, is cladding (Figure 1). Modified wood products such as ThermoWood^® offer aesthetically pleasing materials with enhanced performance characteristics that can extend maintenance intervals, bringing added value for the building owner.