You’ve probably never heard of Accoya before as you primarily hear about Oak or Pine when referring to hardwood entrance doors. However, Accoya is a high-performance wood that is set apart from other wood types, and Accoya is the brand name – opposed to the common name of a tree.
Starting life as a fast-growing pine tree, grown in a managed forest, the tree is harvested when it reaches maturity at 30-years-old where it then undergoes a modification process. This process is known as acetylation and involves subjecting the softwood to a vinegar, turning it into hardwood. The outcome is an extremely dimensionally stable and durable wood perfect for high-quality external entrance doors and furniture.
With the acetylation process, the wood is modified throughout and as a result no matter how you manipulate the wood, it will keep the same performance. This provides us with a versatility that other woods may not and allows us the ability to cut, drill, shape etc. without concerns for the life of the wood or worries that the end piece may not be fit for purpose.
One of the main advantages of Accoya wood is that when it is modified its ability to absorb water into the cell walls reduces by 80 per cent. This makes Accoya a great option for external entrance doors as it means it has less maintenance and stops insects and fungi from attacking the wood for food. Using this corrosive-resistant material means that your property will be well insulated and add an extra layer of safety to your entrance way.
Accoya is also a great sustainable choice as the timber is harvested responsibly from well-managed forests which are replenished with no damage to the surrounding environment. It is Forest Stewardship Council certified as well.
As a non-toxic product the wood is also fully biodegradable and fits perfectly in the Cradle to Cradle design philosophy, which Accoya has been awarded Gold certification.
Find out more about Accoya here: https://planetwoodltd.com/timber-solid-wood-period-doors
