World-leading Modified Wood Stands the Test of Time
- World’s first Accoya-clad home in Glenrothes, Fife, celebrates its 10-year anniversary with minimal maintenance required
- TRADA Report shows positive test rig results of 10-year uninterrupted exposure to natural weathering
- Accoya proven to have unmatched resilience, durability and low maintenance
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Accoya, the world-leading modified wood, has received two significant accolades recognising its durability and stability over the longer-term.
The world’s first home to be clad in Accoya last year celebrated its 10th anniversary, coinciding with the publication of an influential trade report proving the wood’s resilience following 10 years’ uninterrupted exposure to natural weathering.
Accoya’s ‘decade of durability’ was initially marked with a successful review in 2016 of the home of architectural designer Gordon Aitken, located near Glenrothes in Fife, Scotland.
Gordon’s was the first UK home to use Accoya cladding coated with a translucent Sikkens translucent protective coating system, using 30 m2 of Accoya wood profile cladding for both north and south facing facades. And the results after 10 years of combating the harsh Scottish climate have been remarkable.
The 10-year anniversary of the Fife Accoya house coincides with the publication of a report published by the Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA) showing the test-rig results of 10 years’ uninterrupted exposure to natural weathering.
The data was obtained from a natural test exposure facility at TRADA’s HQ, with Accoya used as vertical cladding and coated in a Sikkens high-build opaque and medium-build semi-translucent coating system.
Observational evidence showed that both the Accoya rigs irrespective of whether they were coated with either woodstain were found to be in an excellent condition after 10 years of natural weathering.
The report stated that: “Neither rig showed any evidence of any coating breakdown or substrate instability with the possible exception of the rig coated with the semi-translucent woodstain where slight fissuring around nail heads was seen to have developed on the north facing aspect…arguably the greatest significance of the findings resides in the fact that the Sikkens coating, in both cases, showed no requirement for maintenance after 10 years.”
TRADA’s report concluded that: “the results of test have shown that the use of Accoya as a substrate for exterior cladding systems can achieve significant benefits in terms of longer performance and reduced maintenance, compared to typical lifetime expectations when conventional softwoods are used.”
Manufactured by Accsys Technologies, Accoya has proven popular with architects and joiners across the world, especially where quality, stability and aesthetics are important. And for Laura Keily, Marketing Director at Accsys Technologies, both 10-year accolades are living proof of Accoya’s long term viability over the longer term – even in the harshest of weather conditions.
Offering exceptional durability and stability, Accoya is an attractive wood product which is perfect for a variety of uses from windows and doors to external cladding, structural projects and decking. Accoya also boasts excellent environmental credentials by using wood sourced from FSC® certified, sustainable forests and Cradle to Cradle Gold certified.
Gordon Aitken, said: “I initially chose Accoya due to its exceptional Class 1 durability and 50-year above ground guarantee, as well as being impressed by its environmental credentials and aesthetic qualities,” explains Gordon.
“Since it was installed in 2006, we have experienced a lot of harsh weather conditions ranging from rain, sleet and snow and even some piercing sunshine, with the north façade being particularly exposed. But in the last 10 years, I have only maintained the cladding once by cleaning with a mild soapy water solution, restoring it to an ‘as new’ appearance.
“It is quite remarkable that the Accoya cladding and Sikkens coating is in such good condition after such a long time. I had initially chosen Accoya as I had wanted a material that required minimal maintenance, but offered high aesthetic qualities to complement the design of the building, and after 10 years of tough living, this has definitely proved to be the case.”
Laura Keily, Head of Marketing at Accsys Technologies, said: “Once again, we can point to powerful evidence of Accoya’s extreme durability both in a domestic environment and in a tried and tested scientific site. The results speak for themselves, and demonstrate the huge potential of Accoya for durable home cladding projects, appealing directly to design experts and consumers alike.”