WITH HEAT - NATURALLY Clock House, Station Approach, Shepperton, Middlesex TW17 8AN T +44 (0)1932 256590 F +44 (0)1932 229989 E info@mbmspeciality.co.uk W www.mbmspeciality.co.uk Continue
About the company Based in Iisalmi, Finland, Lunawood is the world s largest producer of Thermally Modified Timber Thermowood Established in 1985 Lunawood remains a family run company, and are founder members of the FINNISH THERMOWOOD ASSOCIATION Lunawood supplies 70% of the Finnish domestic market and also exports world-wide. All products from Lunawood are supplied with full PEFC Chain of Custody
What is thermo-treated wood? Thermowood is a generic term for thermally modified timber. Only members of the Finnish Thermowood Association are licensed to use the generic description. Lunawood is a leading brand name. Selected (live knotted) redwood is treated in a series of linked chamber kilns with a specialist process including steam to a temperature of between 190-212 C. (That is to say above the point of spontaneous combustion!) Thermo S = Stability 190 C Used for INTERNAL applications (use class 1 / durability class 3) Thermo D = Stability 212 C Used for EXTERNAL applications (use class 3 / durability class 2) Changes occur to the physical and chemical structure of the wood and also the outward appearance.
Lunawood thermo-wood properties Retains its size and shape Improved decay and weather-resistance BRE certified for 30 year service life when used in the UK for exterior decking boards and exterior cladding Decreased risk of mould formation Less expanding and contracting due to moisture Improved thermal insulation Pitch dries and disappears Hygienic Colour darkens throughout the wood Increased hardness of the surface Wood is lighter in weight Possesses the desired strength Screws resistant to corrosion are recommended when using the wood outdoors or in humid places Glues are absorbed into the wood slower Go to Finnish Thermowood Association summary
Features and benefits Following the breaking down of hemicelluloses (sugar chains), wood no longer contains enough nutritional substances to support decay-causing fungi. The wood become naturally more durable. Decay and weather resistance is improved. There is a decreased risk of mould formation. Durability Class 2 is achieved without the need for chemical treatment The chemical changes in the wood significantly reduce its ability to adsorb moisture. The wood becomes more stable Normal expansion and contraction experience with standard softwood is significantly reduced. Profiles retain their size & shape more readily. There is a reduced risk of cupping Unlike pressure or surface treatments the colour darkens throughout the wood from the surface to the very centre. Non standard profiles can be machined to order without the need to hold many different dimensions in stock. Thermal insulation properties are improved by 20% to 25% thus giving improved insulation performance. The wood is approximately 10% lighter (in weight, not colour) than standard or treated softwood.
Other Considerations Adhesive is absorbed slower into the wood. Corrosion resistant screws or nails are required. Stainless steel is recommended. Strength is reduced and it is not recommended that Lunawood is used in load bearing situations. Splitting strength is reduced so care should be taken when fixing. Pre drilling is recommended and nails should not be punched below the surface. Avoid nailing within 50mm of the end of a board unless pre drilled Exposure to Ultra Violet Light As with all timber, Thermowood is unable to resist the effects of ultraviolet radiation and the exposed surface will silver in a relatively short period of time. If a silver / grey appearance is not the desired effect it is necessary to apply a pigmented surface coating to maintain the original colour. This should be done promptly after installation and maintained in accordance with the coating manufacturer s guidelines. Thermally treated wood can be finished in the same manner as ordinary wood. The surface can be refreshed by sanding or with the use of proprietary cleaning agents
Decks and patios Balconies Pergolas Outdoor cladding Façades Fences Garden furniture Stairs and banisters Fence posts Flower boxes Sand boxes Window and door structures Uses - Exterior Outside doors, windows and shutters Landscaping constructs Noise-control structures Pedestrian bridges and docks Eaves Structural components Park and playground constructs Boat decks (in place of teak)
Uses - Interior Walls, ceilings and other decorating Fixtures Furniture Sauna benches and cladding material Counter tops Panelling Decorating in saunas and bathrooms Floors
Click on the links below to go straight Sawing Working with Thermo-wood Sawing Lunawood is similar to sawing un treated softwood. A fine toothed circular saw blade is recommended. As the wood is very dry the saw dust will be finer than untreated wood and suitable dust extraction is required. As Lunawood does not contain resin the power requirement for sawing is reduced and the life span of the equipment is significantly increased. The internal stresses of the wood are released during the heat treatment process, and therefore no distortion occurs after re cutting. Planing Lunawood softwood is similar in character to hardwood when being planed. Standard cutters will produce a good finish, but as with hardwood carbide tipped cutters will produce the best result. Good extraction is required to remove the dust, and due to the lack of resin the tooling will stay in good condition for much longer than when machining standard softwood. Lunawood is more brittle than untreated softwood and care should be taken with pressure rollers so as not to crack the boards. A single wheel feed roller is ideal if available. It is recommended to machine cladding profiles with the heart side of the board as the face side. Continue
Click on the links below to go straight Milling Working with Thermo-wood It is essential to maintain sharp cutters when milling across the grain. Milling Lunawood is similar to working with one of the harder, more brittle hardwoods. Lunawood turns extremely well and once again should be treated as if turning hardwood. The lack of resin prolongs the life of cutters and sanding belts. Gluing Lunawood can be glued as with untreated timber. However it should be noted that due to the slower absorption of moisture, the drying time for water based adhesives will be increased. Good results have been achieved with resorcinol-phenol adhesives under test conditions for glue laminated beams. Previous
Click on the links below to go straight What is thermo-treated wood? Lunawood thermo-wood properties Working with thermowood Gallery (Click on pictures below to see further examples) Exteriors Claddings Miscellaneous Interiors
Gallery Terraces, Landscaping and Garden Interiors Claddings Miscellaneous
Gallery Interior uses Birch Exteriors Claddings Miscellaneous
Click on the links below to go straight Gallery Claddings Exteriors Interiors Miscellaneous
Click on the links below to go straight Gallery Miscellaneous Exteriors Interiors Claddings
APPENDIX Click on the links below to go straight Return to Lunawood thermo-wood properties
APPENDIX Click on the links below to go straight The colour of ThermoWood is affected by the treatment temperature and time. The higher the temperature, the darker the appearance. As with all softwoods, the colour consistency is affected by normal variation due to density and also depends on whether springwood or latewood is used. The colour of heat-treated pine. Treatment temperatures from 120 to 220 C at 20 C intervals. Treatment time (photo: VTT). 120 C 140 C 160 C 180 C 200 C 220 C Return to Features & benefits
APPENDIX Click on the links below to go straight In order to avoid cracking of the boards, it is advisable to make a flat base surface with a planer or band saw first before profiling. The best results are achieved with carbide-tipped cutters, as when working with hard types of wood. It has also been reported that ThermoWood pieces cause less friction during infeed and enable a smoother planing process. This is due to the lack of resin in the wood. On the other hand, since the strength of the material is lower, the infeed rollers must be adjusted to lower pressures to avoid cracking of the boards. Good results have been achieved by replacing the rollers as shown in the picture below. Return to working with thermo-wood