How Thermally Modified Wood Enhances Shed Performance

Wood is a natural building material, providing strength, durability and stability even in challenging climate zones. However, its expansion and contraction due to changes in humidity may affect its integrity over time.

Thermally modified wood’s lower equilibrium moisture content better corresponds with dry climate conditions, eliminating expansion-contraction cycles that cause warping and cracking in traditional lumber products.

Durability

Thermally modified wood (TMW) offers building professionals an attractive alternative to chemically treated lumber and tropical hardwoods; its superior durability has enabled it to withstand time without incurring costly maintenance or replacement costs, while simultaneously decreasing environmental impacts.

The TMW process utilizes both heat and steam to significantly enhance wood durability without compromising its strength or beauty. This unique treatment stabilizes cellular structures within wood cells to limit moisture absorption while increasing resistance against fungal decay, insects and warping which is common with traditional lumber. Furthermore, significantly fewer warping or shrinking occurs as a result of TMW treatment than with traditional lumber.

TMW wood offers increased durability against weather conditions that pose challenges to traditional lumber. Sheds often sit in areas prone to freezing-thawing cycles that cause expansion and contraction cycles in conventional lumber. This cycle leads to cracking and checking as well as issues with fasteners and installation hardware – thus TMW’s dramatic reduction in moisture absorption provides significant protection from these climate conditions.

TMW’s superior durability translates into its increased resistance to biological pressure, making it well suited to humid regions like the Southeast where high summer humidity, temperatures and year-round biological activity is commonplace. Studies from Louisiana State University demonstrate that TMW is significantly more resistant to termite attack than untreated softwoods but is still vulnerable. For optimal performance use CCA lumber instead.

TMW not only improves performance but also enriches its natural colors by creating an array of tones throughout each board – making TMW an attractive alternative to traditional wood siding, decking, or cladding options. Furthermore, eliminating chemical preservatives allows builders and homeowners alike to align their building practices with responsible forest management practices.

Stability

Traditional wood can swell and shrink when exposed to fluctuating moisture conditions, creating issues for fasteners and structural integrity. Thermally modified wood offers superior resistance against such fluctuations and is therefore an excellent option for exterior cladding or weatherboard panels.

Thermal modification utilizes an oxygen-deprived environment to alter the cellular structure of wood and decrease its hygroscopicity, as well as to increase durability and enhance stability. As a result, an eco-friendly alternative for treating wood rot, decay and fungal infestation is produced – one that doesn’t rely on chemical preservatives!

Step one of thermal modification begins by heating wood at low temperatures in a pressure-controlled chamber, in order to lower its equilibrium moisture content (EMC). Step two involves rapid spikes in temperature that cook out extractives and convert sugars. These processes make wood less capable of absorbing moisture going forward and thus significantly less vulnerable to fungal attacks.

Some species of softwood excel in thermal modification, including spruce and pine. Oak and ash also make great exterior lumber options – although ash may not be readily available like its North American hardwood counterparts and has lower strength-to-weight ratios than some of the other softwoods which do well with thermal modification.

Thermally modified wood not only increases durability and stability, but it can also increase biological resistance against certain micro-organisms and insects. This effect is partly attributable to its reduction of volatile organic compounds and soluble sugars which makes it less of a food source for mold, fungi, or any other unwanted organisms.

Thermally modified wood preservation technology has long been utilized, such as Japanese timber charring method called Shou Sugi Ban and Viking practice of burning ships to preserve them at sea. Thermally modified wood preservation represents one of the newest innovations in wood preservation technology; this patented modification process is non-toxic and has received Cradle to Cradle Gold Certification for Material Health certification; additionally it is made from fast growing certified sustainable timber which offers greater dimensional stability compared to conventional products.

Aesthetics

Thermally modified wood offers many of the same aesthetic benefits of natural wood while being more durable, making it a highly desired material in design projects and client meetings. This process darkens original colors of each species for a uniform and rich appearance; staining, painting or UV protective coating can maintain this look for longer than untreated lumber does; additionally thermal modification eliminates chemical preservatives – appealing to an increasing interest in sustainable materials.

Thermal modification is an all-natural process involving heating wood to high temperatures in an oxygen-free chamber, gradually raising its temperature until equilibrium moisture content drops below 100%, providing greater resistance to decay from natural elements and bacteria/fungus/insect infestation. Cellular composition changes due to heat exposure – for instance hemicelluloses/sugars which provided food sources to bacteria/fungus/insects become inert materials that no longer attract them thereby making wood resistant against decay/rot/insect infestation/rot/insect invasion/rot/insect invasion/infestations/rot/insectious infestation/rot/insect resistance is created as food sources become no longer attracted by bacteria/fungia/insecta etc thereby making wood both rot/insect resistant!

Thermally modified wood provides an attractive aesthetic option for outdoor applications like decking, siding and cladding. Indoor uses include walls, cabinetry doors trim furniture trim. Due to its increased durability and stability, thermally modified wood makes an excellent alternative to tropical hardwoods for high-end commercial and residential projects.

Thermally modified wood (TMW) is an ideal material choice for the Pacific Northwest’s wet climate due to its reduced moisture absorption rate and resistance against moisture damage and decay, making it suitable for fencing, pergolas and gazebos. Field tests demonstrate its structural integrity even after 10+ years exposure in coastal environments.

TMW lumber’s low moisture content helps it to resist freeze-thaw damage, showing minimal structural damage during accelerated freeze-thaw testing compared to traditional lumber – an especially significant feature given the increased frequency of extreme weather events in this part of the world.

Maintenance

Thermal modification changes wood’s chemical properties, increasing durability and improving stability – increasing resistance against moisture, decay, insects and the elements without needing chemicals or preservatives as protection measures.

Thermally modified wood resists natural weathering more effectively than its traditional treated lumber counterpart, which makes it particularly useful in areas like the Pacific Northwest where wet winters and high humidity cause traditional wood to deteriorate over time. Field studies conducted in Scandinavia show that thermally modified pine and spruce have stood up well over 10+ years of outdoor exposure.

Thermal modification process reduces wood expansion and contraction with changes in humidity and temperature, thus significantly decreasing warping or twisting over time. Due to its superior dimensional stability, Thermo Wood makes an excellent choice for applications where seasonal climate transitions play an integral part, such as deck boards or siding applications.

Thermal modification increases wood’s surface strength and impact resistance, helping it withstand repeated foot traffic and heavy loads outdoors. Although thermal treatment increases density slightly compared to untreated cedar or cypress wood species, you may require additional supports in certain projects for additional framing members to support them properly.

Thermally modified wood may react with ferrous metals, so be sure to select stainless steel fasteners when using thermally modified lumber in your project. Furthermore, thermally modified lumber takes longer to dry out than its untreated counterpart so plan for adequate ventilation and weather protection during construction and installation.

Thermally modified wood’s lower maintenance needs make its cost more comparable with other exterior building materials, like fiberglass composites. Furthermore, its lack of chemical preservatives allows you to select an eco-friendly material that aligns with sustainable forest management practices and supports circular economies.