pine forest

Top 5 landscape timber projects

Wood is a versatile and beautiful material used to create various structures, from simple planters, decking, and boardwalks to complex commercial building facades. It adds warmth and character to outdoor spaces. As a renewable resource, it is naturally sustainable, and unlike other materials used for landscaping, it carries a small carbon footprint.

12.04.2023

Timber for residential and commercial designs

Timber for residential and commercial designs

 

There are many ways to use timber in landscape timber projects for residential and commercial designs. We’ve assembled some of our favorite landscape timber ideas for consideration below:

1. Decking, Bridges, and Walkways

It is still the most popular choice for decking, generally the focal point for the yard and extending the outdoor living areas. Timber can also be used for commercial boardwalks and larger marina projects. For instance, Accoya was chosen for a 1,300-foot-long boardwalk in Australia, home to some of the harshest weather conditions in the world.

2. Shading Structures

2. Shading Structures

 

Using timber for shading structures is a smart choice, from pergolas, arbors, louvers/shutters, or bus shelters. Whether you’re using the structure for shade or as a complement to your overall landscape project, use timber to enhance the outdoor space. Consider this extended living space in Norway featuring a backyard kitchen pergola structure using Accoya. Louvers were added for shade and privacy.

3. Furniture

3. Furniture

 

Timber offers homeowners and commercial designers flexible and creative options regarding outdoor furniture and structures. It also provides warmth that can’t be matched with other materials like metal, plastic, and concrete. It is also a natural insulator, absorbing sound rather than bouncing off. In the middle of a city, where noise is a constant, the city of New Plymouth in New Zealand created an outdoor respite area showcasing seating and planters made of Accoya.

4. Playground Equipment

4. Playground Equipment

 

Visit most public city or school playgrounds and you’ll likely spot metal or plastic-made playground equipment. Today custom timber-made playground equipment is soaring. The Universal Design Playground in Cambridge, Mass., is a 30,000-square-foot public play area in Danehy Park that features hundreds of pieces of wood to create a play area open to all people.

5. Lighting Structures

5. Lighting Structures

 

Add ambiance or blend into any outdoor space with wood-lighting structures. Timber lighting structures can soften and diffuse light or make an area bold and dramatic. The Pike, located along the shoreline in Long Beach, features timber light poles along the shoreline strip.

Choosing a suitable timber product

Choosing a suitable timber product

 

Whether you’re a homeowner or a landscape professional, using timber for landscape architecture projects offers flexibility, warmth, and beauty. Choosing a suitable timber for your project just got easier.

Accoya is tried and tested. It is rot-resistant and proven to last — in the most extreme weather conditions — for up to 50 years. It’s why landscape designers choose Accoya for timber landscape projects.

How will you use Accoya for your landscape timber project? Please send us your projects using Accoya.com

Accoya successfully re-awarded Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold

Accoya wood has been re-awarded Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold, including at the Platinum level for material health, by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute. 

11.27.2023

Cradle to Cradle Certified

Cradle to Cradle Certified

Cradle to Cradle Certified® is a highly prestigious accreditation for materials, products and systems that positively impact people and planet, supporting the shift to a circular economy.  Products are assessed against the world’s most advanced science-based measures, across five major categories: material health, material reutilisation, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship and social fairness. Cradle to Cradle Certified® products are recognized by several building schemes, including LEED and BREEAM, for their contribution to healthier buildings. 

Accoya is one of the few building products to be Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold. It is made from fast growing pine that is sourced from 100% certified sustainable (i.e. FSC® (C012330) ) and well managed sources. Through a modification process, Accsys transforms the pine into Accoya, a highly durable and stable wood, reducing reliance on unsustainable and, often irresponsibly sourced, hardwoods. Accoya is completely non-toxic and has a low lifetime carbon footprint.

“Cradle to Cradle certification is a highly prestigious award and we are proud of our recertification and our product’s circular economy benefits,” said Jelena Arsic van Os, CEO, Accsys Technologies. “The standards set by the Institute are incredibly rigorous, requiring us to submit evidence and demonstrate best practices across areas including: responsible sourcing, health, safety & environment procedures and production processes. With the pressure on for builders and architects to build better for our planet, having Accoya Cradle to Cradle Certified® gives our customers peace of mind they are working with a product that is contributing to a sustainable future.”

Earlier this month Accoya was also re-awarded the Nordic Swan Eco Label, further demonstrating the sustainability properities of Accoya wood. The Nordic Ecolabel is recognised and trusted in Nordic and European markets as a symbol of environmentally responsible products. The Nordic Ecolabel signifies that a product is produced with a reduced environmental impact throughout its lifecycle.

Warren Trask has joined our distribution network in the USA

With deep roots in the lumber industry, Warren Trask Company will supply Accoya in the Northeast U.S

10.04.2023

KINGSPORT, Tenn., September 26, 2023Accsys, the fast-growing company that enhances the natural properties of wood to create high-performance, sustainable building products, expanding its North American footprint by adding the Warren Trask Company as a new distributor in the Northeast U.S.

In business since 1924, the Warren Trask Company has established itself as one of the top building materials wholesalers in the Northeast. The company’s operation encompasses over 30 acres in Lakeville, Massachusetts, and a Menands, New York location.

“Accoya checks the boxes that traditional wood does not,” said Bernie Nugent, President of the Warren Trask Company. “Moisture-related swelling and difficulty in the stability of wood when coated with dark colors have now become problems of the past for decks and siding, thanks to Accoya. We aim to make this sustainable wood option available and affordable through our specialty lumber yard market across the Northeast and our other best-in-class offerings. We value the partnership with Accsys in building this opportunity.”

“As our U.S. production plant in Kingsport, Tennessee, moves closer to its completion — scheduled for mid-2024 — the additional distribution supports the growing demand for our high-performance, sustainable products,” said John Alexander, group sales director at Accsys. “We are pleased the Warren Trask Company has chosen to supply Accoya, improving the availability of a long-lasting, environmentally responsible building material.”

Accoya wood brings unprecedented reliability for timber, with a 50-year above-ground and 25-year in-ground and freshwater warranty. Manufactured from fast-growing and renewable FSC® certified sources, it is one of the few building products to be Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold. It is well suited for the Northeastern U.S. climate and is ideal for siding, decking, historical restoration projects, windows, and doors.

Weatherproof decking: What you need to know

This article includes instructions about weatherproofing wood decking, why it’s essential, and when to do it seasonally (i.e. now – late summer – before the wet and cold weather comes).

09.13.2023

Weatherproof decking: What you need to know

Weatherproof decking: What you need to know

 

The unpredictability of Fall and Winter weather is coming. Yet it tends to sneak up on us every year. Depending on where you live, fall and winter brings hard rains, heavy snow, winds, or brutally cold temperatures—all that can wreak havoc on your wood decking. Now is the time to prepare, including weatherproofing your wood deck.

While some wood decks (like Accoya) are more durable than others, it’s still prudent to ensure that any wood deck performs year after year. Here are some simple steps to weatherproof decking so you can enjoy it for years.

Take a walk

Take a walk

 

The first step in weatherproof decking is to walk around and inspect the deck for any signs of rotting, loose boards, popped nails, or splintering wood. Now is the time for repairs, from tightening loose fasteners or nails or replacing damaged decking. Once that’s completed, you’re ready for the next step.

Seal and coat for longevity and looks

Over time you need to reapply stains and paint as well as seal. By sealing your deck, you can protect it from the deluge of fall and winter moisture and water penetration and ultimately reduce the risks of rot and mold growth. While you don’t have to worry about rot and mold growth with Accoya, other natural wood options require proper sealing. With transparent stains to retain a natural wood look, the material will eventually fade to a lovely natural silver-gray patina. If the natural look is not your thing, you can stain Accoya any color, even black, using oil- or water-based stains. Our stains enhance your wood deck’s natural beauty and offer added UV protection to shield it from the sun’s harmful rays.

Give your deck a bath

After inspecting your deck, grab a stiff brush and clear water to clean your Accoya wood deck if you notice debris or dirt. This process can be improved by wetting the brush before cleaning, as the soaking softens the biofilm. (Decking forms a “biofilm,” a layer that holds water and reduces the drying speed. Regular cleaning can help control its build-up.) For more persistent stains, a cleaning agent can be used, and, at Accoya, we recommend a cleaning agent with a PH value below nine and rinse the decking thoroughly with clear water. Never use a high-pressure washer, even on the low setting— you can destroy your wood deck.

More preventive steps that are easy to do

Besides an annual cleaning, board replacement, and other maintenance, there are other complementary ways you can weatherproof and keep your wood deck lasting for years. Is water pooling anywhere on your deck? Consider adding gutter systems or downspouts to carry water off the deck and away from your foundation. To help shield your deck against your local environment from wind or rain, or snow, consider adding a retractable deck awning or a pergola with a waterproof cover. Try to rotate plant pots or furniture. Over time, leaving these items on your wood deck is a breeding ground for wet, moldy patches and can stain or discolor your wood deck.

Accoya provides a 25-year residential warranty, giving homeowners peace of mind that their decking is worth the investment. Decking boards made from Accoya wood are very durable and rarely need repairs. That said, take the time each summer to do a proper weatherproof decking inspection to keep ahead of any repairs, and always clean your Accoya decking regularly with just water and a brush.

To read more about our decking options, visit our website.

 

The perfect match: best house and deck color combinations

Gone are the days of painting your home and leaving the deck as is or installing a new deck and merely considering its color or existing natural grain as an afterthought. Housing deck designs are more sophisticated today and are a focal point for the outdoor area.

08.09.2023

The deck, an extension of your home, is an essential space for homeowners to relax and entertain. As such, the house deck designs deserve the same attention to detail as the rest of your exterior. And that includes color combinations, finishes — natural or coated — and material choices.

Today, savvy homeowners are discovering new ways to mix materials on their home’s exterior, including color combinations. Contrasting your home’s colors with your decking can add visual interest, texture, and personality to a home’s exterior and create a unique, dynamic look that reflects your style.

Combining your home’s color with your new or existing deck offers cautionary advice. Here are some ‘how to choose deck color’ considerations and tips to think about.

Complementary colors

Complementary colors

 

When choosing a color for your house deck designs, select options that complement the color of your house and align with its style. Bright colors might work on a modern home but look out of place on a farmhouse-style home, for instance. Consider harmonizing two color options so the house and deck color combinations seamlessly blend.

For instance, earth-tone-colored homes with darker-shade decking or timber decking would work, or a classic white house matches well with a natural wood finish or a light gray deck, and Accoya natural or color can deliver.

For a bold and eye-catching look, if your home is painted a neutral color (white or light gray), coat your deck with a vibrant hue like teal, red, or deep green to add personality and a modern or eclectic style.

Contrasting colors are in, too

Contrasting colors are in, too

 

Of course, you will want to match colors ultimately. However, adding contrast can create visual interest by mixing light and dark colors. Does your home have a “mood”? It sure does! Color combinations can evoke different moods, from earthy and natural tones, like a stylish grey deck to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere, while bold and contrasting colors can create a more vibrant look.

 

Beyond colors: mixing materials

Beyond colors: mixing materials

 

Discussing modern deck and house color combinations wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the popularity of combining wood and metal for a home’s exterior. For instance, wood siding for a warm and natural feel is complemented with metal accents such as decorative panels with interesting texture and contrast to the exterior design. Or use wood for fencing or railings and incorporate metal elements such as cable railing to create a visually appealing boundary without the weight.

Test before jumping in

Test before jumping in

 

Still trying to figure out what colors will work best to mix and match? We recommend getting paint samples and testing them in different lighting conditions. Your porch light can do good and bad wonders for a home’s color, as can the time of day. This will ensure how the color matches—or doesn’t—against your home’s exterior in various lighting situations to ensure a cohesive match before painting.

Always stylish grey

Always stylish grey

 

Grey, a popular choice today, is a versatile yet neutral color that can work well with many home styles and designs. But with any exterior product, it needs to withstand the elements and stay looking as fresh as the day it was built. Accoya Color Grey is the perfect deck and siding choice that complements almost any other color. Better yet, it’s also an ultra-high performance decking product that combines the beauty and benefits of 100% natural wood but without the drawbacks. Colored through completely from surface to core, the gorgeous Color Grey delivers a premium, lasting look.

To learn more about Accoya Color Grey and to get inspired by decking projects, visit here.

How to clean and care for your Accoya wood siding in summer

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors, whether hiking, biking, swimming, or just being outside in the warm sun. For homeowners, summer is also the perfect time for home maintenance, including cleaning and caring for your wood siding.

08.09.2023

Get ready for summer

Get ready for summer

 

It’s not as arduous as you’d think, either. And, after you’re done, your home’s exterior is ready for the fall and beyond to perform better and keep its beautiful curb appeal.

As an Accoya customer, you know that the siding on your home is resistant to rotting, is likely to stay free of any visible distortion over its lifetime, and is a cost-effective choice for lasting performance. That’s a solid foundation for keeping your siding clean. However, dirt and debris can still accumulate over the years. Here are our six tips on how to clean wood siding and how to care for wood siding and maintain it for years to come.

Tip 1: Make sure you have the tools and supplies needed.

Tip 1: Make sure you have the tools and supplies needed.

 

Cleaning your wood siding doesn’t require specialized tools; most tools you’ll need should be in your garage. Tools and supplies include a simple garden hose with a spray nozzle, a bucket, a ladder, a soft-bristle brush or sponge, mild detergent, and if you decide to coat your siding, we have multiple options for you to consider.

Tip 2: Take a walk around your home (while enjoying that summer sunshine).

Inspect your Accoya siding and look for damaged, missing, or loose boards. Now is the time to repair any siding if needed.

Tip 3: Prep your siding and rinse.

Think of this step as painting a room. Once you’ve gathered your tools and inspected your siding, prepare your siding by removing any dirt or debris, or obstacles nearby. If you have landscaping, consider covering it with a light plastic sheet. Now it’s time to gently rinse your siding with your hose’s spray nozzle to remove dirt and any debris. (Note: never use a pressure washer for this step.

Tip 4: Scrub, clean, and rinse (again).

Fill your bucket with water with mild detergent, mix, and always test a small area to ensure your solution doesn’t damage or discolor your siding. After determining the solution is okay, gently scrub your wood siding and apply deep scrubs where dirt appears. Once your siding is cleaned, rinse it again with your garden hose.

Tip 5: Grab a beverage and allow the siding to dry.

Allow your wood siding to dry naturally with the summer sun, and enjoy your clean and maintained siding for another season.

Tip 6: To coat or not to coat

Tip 6: To coat or not to coat

 

Like other wood products, uncoated Accoya wood will weather over time to an elegant gray color when exposed to the elements outdoors. However, weathering does not affect Accoya’s durability, stability, or performance, unlike other woods.

Though your Accoya wood siding doesn’t require a recoat, you might consider recoating for aesthetic reasons. If applying a coating, let your wood siding dry for at least 24 hours, then apply your coating. For more information on coating recommendations, we have compiled a list of tried and tested coating suppliers to consider, or reference our Essential Coatings Guide for best practice tips.

Your exterior wood siding needs to weather all seasons and types of environments. Accoya knows that aesthetics, low maintenance, and durability are crucial. Accoya is a cost-effective choice siding solution for lasting performance.

Accoya siding is manufactured from FSC® certified wood and has numerous advantages: lasting performance, beautiful aesthetic, and the clear conscience that you have used a sustainable material.

Read more about Accoya wood siding products here.

10 great examples of Japanese burnt wood siding (Shou Sugi Ban)

If you’re looking for a siding material that creates a distinctive texture but one that’s also visually striking and adds a unique character to the exterior, look no further than Japanese burnt wood siding, also known as Shou Sugi Ban.

06.29.2023

 What is Shou Sugi Ban?

What is Shou Sugi Ban?

Shou Sugi Ban has been around for hundreds of years and has a long history in Japan. The technique—which includes burning the surface of the wood to create a layer of char that protects it from weathering, insects, and rot—originated in the 18th century to help preserve cedar siding on traditional Japanese homes and temples.

Shou Sugi Ban then gained popularity worldwide, with designers, architects, and homeowners using charred Accoya wood for various applications. Its durability, sustainability, and unique appearance make it a sought-after material for modern residential and commercial design projects.

Here are 10 stunning examples to inspire you if you consider installing for your Shou Sugi Ban house or other projects.

Modern touches meet sustainability

Modern touches meet sustainability

For this ultra-modern home, Shou Sugi Ban is aesthetically beautiful, and the dark finish also achieves a striking, standout appeal. Utilizing charring as a surface treatment is a natural, sustainable, non-toxic alternative to treated wood that harms people and the environment.

Beautiful and energy efficient

Beautiful and energy efficient

This Passive House in Utah is not only sustainable and energy efficient, the gorgeous exterior is wrapped in charred Accoya wood, fitting the eco-conscious theme—but is designed to last, providing stability throughout the seasonal changes in Utah.

Chicago two-tone

Chicago two-tone

This simple two-story home in Chicago used two shades of charred Accoya wood. The base is concrete, while the upper levels used an Accoya wood façade system in two different shades – grey and black. The façade mirrors the internal arrangement of the two floors. Not so simple anymore!

Swimming in design

Swimming in design

Sometimes a pool house is just a pool house, but in this case, the homeowner went deep and chose Accoya Barnwood Siding in Delta Black by Delta Millworks. The result is a modern, beautiful structure that will delight the homeowners to enjoy during the summer and show off at future pool parties.

Going coastal

Going coastal

Accoya’s MATSU (from the Japanese term ‘pine tree’), by reSAWN Timber Co., provided a burnt look on the outer facing side of the tongue and groove cladding but also extreme durability, exterior weathering capabilities, FSC®-certification, exterior warranty, and the hardiness of Accoya for those brutal coastal conditions.

Unique and Striking with Accoya

Unique and Striking with Accoya

Manufactured by reSAWN TIMBER Co., Accoya was used to bring a unique and striking look to this private residence. A specific range of Accoya wood, MATSU Shou Sugi Ban, was selected for the project. This charred cladding is burnt on the visible side only and then sealed on its face and back.

Slatted for luxury

Slatted for luxury

A deep gray, slatted Accoya wood covers the exterior, while charred, stained, sealed, and deep gray, slatted Accoya wood siding by reSAWN Timber Co. enhances the roofscape’s dynamic edges and arcs. Accoya was chosen for its durability, low maintenance, and distinctly contemporary appearance.

Not your grandfather’s garage

Not your grandfather’s garage

This striking facade for this homeowner’s garage is made from Accoya wood but was left uncoated to reveal the natural light coloring of Accoya. In complete contrast, the garage itself was clad using charred Accoya. The two varying finishes complement each other well and show just how versatile Accoya is.

Not just for homes

Not just for homes

Who says fire stations have to be drab, concrete affairs?

This fire station in Aspen used Accoya Smooth Coastline by Delta Millworks, which provides splashes and accents to break up the fire station’s exteriors.

Ready for its close up

Ready for its close up

Last is an up-close look at one of our Shou Sugi Ban—Accoya Deep Char, by Pioneer Millworks. An additional feature of Accoya’s Shou Sugi Ban wood is that the grain is emphasized much more than any other timber due to how well the process chars our wood—and is offered in various colors.

 

Whether you call it Japanese burnt wood siding or Shou Sugi Ban, you’ll be impressed by Accoya’s aesthetically pleasing looks, sustainable and long-lasting method of wood preservation, and charred layer highly resistant to moisture, UV rays, and fire.

 

An additional feature of Accoya is that our grain is emphasized much more than any other timber due to how well the process chars Accoya. The process makes it an attractive timber for exterior siding and even internal feature walls.

Accoya Insights – April 2023

04.04.2023

Recent updates from Accoya

Recent updates from Accoya

Accoya Insights – our bi-monthly newsletter bringing you relevant company updates and key developments from around the world.

This edition includes:

  • Great production & increased output using the new stacker
  • Accoya USA update
  • Product testing in Hawaii
  • New recruits – Stephen Cox, Savannah Perry & Remy Torrico
  • First Accoya TV commercial
  • New project case study in California
  • Past & upcoming tradeshows

10 great examples of Japanese burnt wood siding (Shou Sugi Ban)

If you’re looking for a siding material that creates a distinctive texture but one that’s also visually striking and adds a unique character to the exterior, look no further than Japanese burnt wood siding, also known as Shou Sugi Ban.

03.20.2023

 What is Shou Sugi Ban?

What is Shou Sugi Ban?

Shou Sugi Ban has been around for hundreds of years and has a long history in Japan. The technique—which includes burning the surface of the wood to create a layer of char that protects it from weathering, insects, and rot—originated in the 18th century to help preserve cedar siding on traditional Japanese homes and temples.

Shou Sugi Ban then gained popularity worldwide, with designers, architects, and homeowners using charred Accoya wood for various applications. Its durability, sustainability, and unique appearance make it a sought-after material for modern residential and commercial design projects.

Here are 10 stunning examples to inspire you if you consider installing for your Shou Sugi Ban house or other projects.

Modern touches meet sustainability

Modern touches meet sustainability

For this ultra-modern home, Shou Sugi Ban is aesthetically beautiful, and the dark finish also achieves a striking, standout appeal. Utilizing charring as a surface treatment is a natural, sustainable, non-toxic alternative to treated wood that harms people and the environment.

Beautiful and energy efficient

Beautiful and energy efficient

This Passive House in Utah is not only sustainable and energy efficient, the gorgeous exterior is wrapped in charred Accoya wood, fitting the eco-conscious theme—but is designed to last, providing stability throughout the seasonal changes in Utah.

Chicago two-tone

Chicago two-tone

This simple two-story home in Chicago used two shades of charred Accoya wood. The base is concrete, while the upper levels used an Accoya wood façade system in two different shades – grey and black. The façade mirrors the internal arrangement of the two floors. Not so simple anymore!

Swimming in design

Swimming in design

Sometimes a pool house is just a pool house, but in this case, the homeowner went deep and chose Accoya Barnwood Siding in Delta Black by Delta Millworks. The result is a modern, beautiful structure that will delight the homeowners to enjoy during the summer and show off at future pool parties.

2023 Design Trends

Design trends come and go, but the staying value of core house color design doesn’t stray too far from keeping it neutral. Homeowners can complement house color design with mixed materials to achieve their desired design goals.

The total value of remodeling projects in 2023 is expected to be nearly $450 billion, says the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. So, whether a homeowner is remodeling or building a new custom home, they want home design styles and products to match their vision. In an era emphasizing durability, sustainability, wellness, and less maintenance, products that last and perform will gain in usage and popularity.

Accoya Insights – April 2023

02.09.2023

Recent updates from Accoya

Recent updates from Accoya

Accoya Insights – our bi-monthly newsletter bringing you relevant company updates and key developments from around the world.

This edition includes:

  • Great production & increased output using the new stacker
  • Accoya USA update
  • Product testing in Hawaii
  • New recruits – Stephen Cox, Savannah Perry & Remy Torrico
  • First Accoya TV commercial
  • New project case study in California
  • Past & upcoming tradeshows

10 great examples of Japanese burnt wood siding (Shou Sugi Ban)

If you’re looking for a siding material that creates a distinctive texture but one that’s also visually striking and adds a unique character to the exterior, look no further than Japanese burnt wood siding, also known as Shou Sugi Ban.

12.09.2022

KINGSPORT, Tenn., December 9, 2022

Accoya USA LLC, broke ground on its U.S. manufacturing facility in June and is on track to begin manufacturing Accoya, the ultra- high performance sustainable wood, in early 2024. The plant is a joint venture between Accsys, the only acetylated wood producer in the world, and Eastman a global specialty materials company. As part of the joint venture, Accsys leverages Eastman’s world-class acetyl production capabilities to produce its Accoya wood products.

North America represents the largest potential regional market for Accoya, and the new plant will ensure a ready supply of Accoya to the U.S. market.

“Our sales in North America grew 44% between our fiscal 2021 and 2022 years and we are seeing continued strong demand for Accoya,” said John Alexander, group sales director, at Accsys. “Once operational, the Kingsport site will double our Accoya 2022 production volumes.”

The groundbreaking comes on the heels of the completion of the fourth acetylation reactor at Arnhem, the Netherlands plant in September. View this video to learn more about Reactor 4. The fourth reactor increases Arnhem’s Accoya production capacity by 33% and the Kingsport facility will be an additional 67% increase in capacity from 2022 volumes.

Once operational in early 2024, the Kingsport facility will supply the North American market and the Netherlands plant will supply the rest of the world. The U.S. reactors are currently being transported from Europe and will arrive in Kingsport in January 2023.

“We are excited to join the Kingsport community and witness the progression of the U.S. facility,” said Rod Graf, general manager of Accoya USA. “Our state-of-the-art facility will increase capacity, create local jobs, and build community. We are also excited to collaborate with the Tennessee College of Applied Technology and Regional Center for Advanced Manufacturing to be a preferred employer in the region as we begin production.”

The U.S. facility will be known as Accoya USA LLC and will create more than 50 new jobs in the Kingsport area.

10 great examples of Japanese burnt wood siding (Shou Sugi Ban)

If you’re looking for a siding material that creates a distinctive texture but one that’s also visually striking and adds a unique character to the exterior, look no further than Japanese burnt wood siding, also known as Shou Sugi Ban.

12.06.2022

DALLAS, December 1, 2022— Accsys announces that its ultra-high performance and sustainable products Accoya and Tricoya have been chosen by leading door manufacturer TruStile, a Marvin Brand, in its new Resilient Wood Entry System. It follows extensive collaboration on testing the products between Marvin R & D and Accsys and the successful 2020 launch and sales of TruStile’s Reserve wood entry system incorporating Tricoya.

Accoya and Tricoya tick a list of performance features for TruStile’s wooden door system:

  • It is engineered with ultra-high performance Accoya, the acetylated wood product, which brings unprecedented reliability, durability, and sustainability for wood.
  • Tricoya top layers provide unparalleled stability, durability, and paintability for outdoor applications.
  • Most configurations are delivered pre-hung with a premium prime finish, ready to paint to design match.
  • 10-year warranty with limited and no overhang applications, depending on system design specifications.

The groundbreaking comes on the heels of the completion of the fourth acetylation reactor at Arnhem, the Netherlands plant in September. View this video to learn more about Reactor 4. The fourth reactor increases Arnhem’s Accoya production capacity by 33% and the Kingsport facility will be an additional 67% increase in capacity from 2022 volumes.

Landscape Timber Ideas for a Natural Appearance

Are you looking for natural hardscape materials to add structure or a framework for your landscaping projects? Consider wood. Naturally sustainable, wood is a versatile material with a small carbon footprint compared to other materials like concrete, stone, and metal. Whether restoring a garden area or starting a new project, timber is an excellent choice that adds beauty, warmth, and endless options to hardscape designs. Here are some of our favorite landscape features that are ideal for using wood:

11.08.2022

Top 10 Uses For Wood in Landscape Designs

Top 10 Uses For Wood in Landscape Designs

1. Edging and Borders: define a garden bed or mark a path or walkway with wood timbers, so the plants, flowers, and trees will stand out and not compete with the border material. If using wood timbers for raised beds, consider a vertical design or stack horizontally to prevent erosion. Use stainless steel connectors to keep pieces aligned, especially for angles.

2. Retaining Wall: a wood retaining wall is a perfect way to blend in naturally, mainly if the wall is a focal point or a large part of a small space.

3. Steps: for graded or steep spaces, add wood steps into the landscape for a graded and easy way to make the trek uphill.

4. Decking: the most common decking material in North America is wood, and there’s nothing like natural wood under bare feet.

5. Pergolas and Gazebos: a covered space, like a pergola or gazebo, offers respite from warm days — even rainy days — and can offer an anchored space or focal point to a design.

6. Play Structures: design play structures for the little ones that are not only fun but beautiful using wood. Not just any wood. Wood that is free of toxic chemicals for peace of mind.

7. Bridges: water features add to the landscape’s design and offer tranquility to the end user. Adding an accent feature like a wooden bridge is an excellent finishing touch.

8. Planters: wooden planters — free-standing to window boxes — are great for space-challenged areas or for an added design feature to highlight trees and plants.

9. Outdoor Furniture: A recent article by Houzz notes that wood is the “go-to option for outdoor furniture” because “it is long-lasting” and can “handle different weather conditions.”

Specify Accoya wood in your next landscape designs. Our modification process gives Accoya unrivaled durability and resistance to rot, making it perfect for demanding exterior and in-ground landscape applications. Non-Toxic, Accoya offers an unmatched 50-year warranty for above ground applications and 25 years below ground or in fresh water. Find out more about the benefits of Accoya wood.

Decks That Impress: 4 Reasons to Choose Real Wood Decking by HOUZZ

Looking to refresh your outdoor area? Find out why a natural wood deck is the best place to start

10.10.2022

When it comes to enhancing your outdoor space, it’s hard to beat a beautiful deck. If you’re considering one, you’ve got some decisions to make since decks come in all sizes, shapes and materials. Whether you’re looking to extend your living space with a back deck, enhance the lounge area around your pool, add a roof deck for relaxing or install a durable dock, here are four compelling reasons to opt for real wood as your decking material.

1. Natural Beauty

1. Natural Beauty

For warmth and natural appeal, nothing compares with real wood as a decking material. With its beautiful texture and rich tones, wood’s authentic look oozes rustic charm and instantly elevates your outdoor entertaining space. What’s even better? If you’re after a more modern, on-trend look, you can reap the benefits of real wood with an extra touch of style thanks to pre-greyed decking boards.

Real wood is practical as well. It’s incredibly durable and able to stand up to the elements, regardless of the climate. And it feels wonderful to walk on, being warmer underfoot in winter and cooler in summer than other outdoor materials such as concrete, pavers and composite decking. Not only that, but the right wood is resistant to cracks and splinters, so it’s barefoot-friendly and still feels smooth over time.

Love the idea of real wood decking but concerned about the upkeep? You needn’t be — there are innovative new products on the market that give you all the beauty of real wood with none of the drawbacks. High-performance acetylated wood decking, which is made from quick-growing, responsibly sourced pine, boasts the good looks of tropical hardwood in a rot- and crack-resistant material that requires practically zero maintenance.

2. Stands Up to Its Surroundings

2. Stands Up to Its Surroundings

Whether you’re building a pool deck, a rooftop deck or a dock, real wood can be a durable choice, effective against rot and decay even when in contact with water. But it’s important to select the right type of wood: Pine and western red cedar are popular choices for wet areas like poolside areas and hot tubs. However, untreated wood can splinter (not ideal for those barefoot summer days by the water) and require regular upkeep to maintain its appearance.

Acetylated wood, on the other hand, is an extremely hard-wearing and easy-care alternative. It doesn’t require any coating and it resists rot, splintering and insect attacks, even in water. And unlike many other types of wood, it offers exceptional dimensional stability, which means the boards won’t visibly shrink or swell when subjected to rain, sun, heat and cold, so they’ll retain their smooth, tailored appearance for decades. Acetylated wood outlasts many other types of wood by decades, with manufacturers providing a 25-year in-ground or freshwater warranty and a 50-year above-ground warranty.

3. Ages Beautifully

3. Ages Beautifully

Unlike synthetic decking materials, genuine wood decking ages gracefully over time, acquiring a beautiful silvery grey patina that adds style and depth to your outdoor area. If you’d prefer not to wait around for the natural aging process to occur, you can purchase pre-greyed decking boards that are dyed all the way through from the surface to the core. Because of the sophisticated non-toxic dyeing process, there’s no need for repeated painting or recoating to maintain the wood’s good looks. The grey color remains long-term, with no need for re-oiling. (It also means that scratches and scrapes won’t be visible.)

Pre-greyed wood decking is an increasingly popular choice for designers and homeowners who are drawn to its sophisticated look and feel and the fact that it allows for a seamless connection with concrete or grey-tiled interior floors. Grey wood also sits beautifully alongside other popular exterior materials such as brick, slate and stone to create a warm and appealing outdoor palette.

4. Sustainably Sourced

4. Sustainably Sourced

Responsibly sourced and manufactured wood decking is an environmentally friendly material so it’s better for the health of your family and Earth. If you’re interested in going green, look for real wood with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification for proof of sustainability. You’ll also want to check that it has been manufactured cleanly, without the use of toxic chemicals. One indication? Cradle to Cradle Gold (C2C Gold) certification, a globally recognized measure of a safer, more sustainable product.

wood deck and swimming pool italy

Accoya Color vs Ipe decking

What’s better for you and for the environment?

06.07.2022

There’s a good reason that real wood decks are popular in this country and elsewhere, it’s a combination of beauty and touch and feel. A real wooden deck is both lovely to look at (especially in the rain, where the water highlights colors and grain) and gorgeous to walk on. There are many millions of decks in this country with the majority of them being made of natural wood. One of the most popular wood species used in the US for decking has been, until recently, Ipe and the use of this wood forms the basis of this blog, in particular when compared to the new revolutionary wooden decking material, Accoya Color®

Ipe, Latin name Tabebuia serratifolia, is a large deciduous tree that is native to lowland rainforests in Central and South America. It’s a hardwood that resembles mahogany in appearance and is commonly found in Bolivia and in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil – it’s also located in Ecuador, Peru and Paraguay among other countries.

The upsides of Ipe

The upsides of Ipe

There are several reasons why Ipe has been so popular for decking and it’s worth noting these, even though this blog is stressing the benefits of Accoya Color! Ipe is classified as a highly durable wood, meaning that in most weather conditions it will last a long time. It also has mold-resistant properties. One thing to note here is that in order to extend its life Ipe wood decks must be maintained with oiling and that takes time and of course has a dollar value attached. It also doesn’t retain heat as much as other natural woods so in hot climes it can be walked on in bare feet in some comfort.

Let's explore the downsides

Let’s explore the downsides

Of course, it’s almost too good to be true. No wood from the rainforest can be sustained for ever and there are plenty of reasons why Ipe is now becoming harder to source and is simply not sustainable. According to lumber website greenworldlumber.com, 18 percent of the Amazon rainforest has been lost to deforestation and one of the victims is Ipe hardwood.

The tragedy here is that these beautiful trees, which can grow up to 150 feet in height, take between 80 to 100 years to grow before being felled, often illegally. Much of the documentation that accompanies imports of Ipe is forged and American consumers unwillingly and unknowingly buy this wood in a trade that is ruining natural rainforests.

Another major downside on the environmental side is the fact that Ipe trees grow very sparsely. It is said that in their natural rainforest habitats one Ipe tree is found in every 300,000 to 1,000,000 square feet. To get to this precious tree illegal loggers often cut down huge areas of rainforest that they have no interest in just to harvest one tree.

Because it’s so scarce these days it is a very expensive wood for both consumers and the installers too, it’s more expensive than redwood and cedar for example. Linked to the scarcity cost is the cost of installation. As it’s so incredibly tough it’s a difficult wood to work with, very unforgiving on tooling with some issues in getting fasteners to fix. All of these issues mean increased costs to consumers.

 

Times, they are a changing...time for Accoya® Color

Times, they are a changing…time for Accoya® Color

As the famous song says, times are changing. Consumers, millworkers and professional installers in the US are looking for alternatives to endangered wood species such as Ipe and Burmese Teak. Accoya Color is the perfect natural wood material for outdoor decks and walkways.

Accoya Color is an organic natural product that comes from FSC® certified softwood plantations that take no more than 20 to 25 years to grow. This pine softwood is then modified using the famous and tried and tested Accoya process of acetylation that turns it into Accoya wood, beautiful, hard-wearing and highly sustainable with lots of proven environmental accreditations to its name. It comes with a 50-year warranty for above-ground installations against rot and decay and a 25-year warranty in water. No one else does this!

Accoya Color is the latest development in Accoya’s market offering, it’s the same hard-working and durable modified timber that is now colored a beautiful shade of grey throughout the wood. This means no additional treatments or coatings are needed, it’s ready to use straight out of the box. A great advantage for installers is that it’s a safe and reliable lumber to work with, tooling is protected which means lower costs for consumers and there’s less waste which is always good! It’s also quicker to install and holds fasteners better than Ipe.

It’s fair to say that a beautiful wood like Ipe has been overharvested for decades and this has made it unsustainable and very scarce. Accoya Color is the beautiful alternative that’s kinder to the environment. Now is the time for Accoya Color.

For more information and see projects made with Accoya Color go to www.accoya.com/products/decking/color-grey-decking/

Where to Buy

You can buy Accoya and Accoya products from our selection of distributors or manufacturers in your region. Use our map search tool to find your nearest Accoya supplier.

Find a supplier

Accoya Color® awarded Cradle to Cradle certification at the prestigious ‘Gold’ level

05.16.2022

Accoya Color® has been awarded Cradle to Cradle certification at the prestigious ‘Gold’ level, as well as being awarded ‘Platinum’ level (the highest level) for both ‘Material Health’ and ‘Water Stewardship’.

This certification demonstrates that Accoya Color (alongside the Accoya parent brand) is a product that adheres to very high standards of sustainability, alongside the recognized high performance and durability credentials of the brand.

Accoya Color product scorecard for each level:

Products are reassessed by the C2C Products Innovation Institute every two years, and Accoya Color has now been successfully certified until May 2024. Visit here for more information on the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

color-grey-pool-deck
wood deck and swimming pool italy

Accoya Color vs Ipe decking

What’s better for you and for the environment?

05.04.2022

There’s a good reason that real wood decks are popular in this country and elsewhere, it’s a combination of beauty and touch and feel. A real wooden deck is both lovely to look at (especially in the rain, where the water highlights colors and grain) and gorgeous to walk on. There are many millions of decks in this country with the majority of them being made of natural wood. One of the most popular wood species used in the US for decking has been, until recently, Ipe and the use of this wood forms the basis of this blog, in particular when compared to the new revolutionary wooden decking material, Accoya Color®

Ipe, Latin name Tabebuia serratifolia, is a large deciduous tree that is native to lowland rainforests in Central and South America. It’s a hardwood that resembles mahogany in appearance and is commonly found in Bolivia and in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil – it’s also located in Ecuador, Peru and Paraguay among other countries.

The upsides of Ipe

The upsides of Ipe

There are several reasons why Ipe has been so popular for decking and it’s worth noting these, even though this blog is stressing the benefits of Accoya Color! Ipe is classified as a highly durable wood, meaning that in most weather conditions it will last a long time. It also has mold-resistant properties. One thing to note here is that in order to extend its life Ipe wood decks must be maintained with oiling and that takes time and of course has a dollar value attached. It also doesn’t retain heat as much as other natural woods so in hot climes it can be walked on in bare feet in some comfort.

Let's explore the downsides

Let’s explore the downsides

Of course, it’s almost too good to be true. No wood from the rainforest can be sustained for ever and there are plenty of reasons why Ipe is now becoming harder to source and is simply not sustainable. According to lumber website greenworldlumber.com, 18 percent of the Amazon rainforest has been lost to deforestation and one of the victims is Ipe hardwood.

The tragedy here is that these beautiful trees, which can grow up to 150 feet in height, take between 80 to 100 years to grow before being felled, often illegally. Much of the documentation that accompanies imports of Ipe is forged and American consumers unwillingly and unknowingly buy this wood in a trade that is ruining natural rainforests.

Another major downside on the environmental side is the fact that Ipe trees grow very sparsely. It is said that in their natural rainforest habitats one Ipe tree is found in every 300,000 to 1,000,000 square feet. To get to this precious tree illegal loggers often cut down huge areas of rainforest that they have no interest in just to harvest one tree.

Because it’s so scarce these days it is a very expensive wood for both consumers and the installers too, it’s more expensive than redwood and cedar for example. Linked to the scarcity cost is the cost of installation. As it’s so incredibly tough it’s a difficult wood to work with, very unforgiving on tooling with some issues in getting fasteners to fix. All of these issues mean increased costs to consumers.

 

Times, they are a changing...time for Accoya® Color

Times, they are a changing…time for Accoya® Color

As the famous song says, times are changing. Consumers, millworkers and professional installers in the US are looking for alternatives to endangered wood species such as Ipe and Burmese Teak. Accoya Color is the perfect natural wood material for outdoor decks and walkways.

Accoya Color is an organic natural product that comes from FSC® certified softwood plantations that take no more than 20 to 25 years to grow. This pine softwood is then modified using the famous and tried and tested Accoya process of acetylation that turns it into Accoya wood, beautiful, hard-wearing and highly sustainable with lots of proven environmental accreditations to its name. It comes with a 50-year warranty for above-ground installations against rot and decay and a 25-year warranty in water. No one else does this!

Accoya Color is the latest development in Accoya’s market offering, it’s the same hard-working and durable modified timber that is now colored a beautiful shade of grey throughout the wood. This means no additional treatments or coatings are needed, it’s ready to use straight out of the box. A great advantage for installers is that it’s a safe and reliable lumber to work with, tooling is protected which means lower costs for consumers and there’s less waste which is always good! It’s also quicker to install and holds fasteners better than Ipe.

It’s fair to say that a beautiful wood like Ipe has been overharvested for decades and this has made it unsustainable and very scarce. Accoya Color is the beautiful alternative that’s kinder to the environment. Now is the time for Accoya Color.

For more information and see projects made with Accoya Color go to www.accoya.com/products/decking/color-grey-decking/

Where to Buy

You can buy Accoya and Accoya products from our selection of distributors or manufacturers in your region. Use our map search tool to find your nearest Accoya supplier.

Find a supplier

What is the Most Sustainable Decking Material?

We’re exploring the critical issue of what is the most sustainable decking material on the market. This topic is now front and center for everyone when they choose their building materials and we’ll talk about the most sustainable decking timber choice of all, the natural Accoya® Color wood.

05.04.2022

Everyone loves the look and feel of a real wooden deck on their property.

Let’s face it, when talking real estate, nothing beats a beautiful outdoor deck in your yard. A professionally installed and properly maintained wooden deck can add real emotional and financial value to your property. The same is true of the wooden decks that are found in corporate settings, where ‘biophilic designs’ bring nature into our working lives, improving our wellbeing and (it’s claimed) our productivity.

Learn more about biophilic designs.

Once upon a time…

Decks throughout the US come in many forms, backyard, front porch, docks leading down to the river and so on. Redwood, Cedar and Ipe have been the traditional woods used in deck construction for hundreds of years. But, the first two require periodic treatment to seal and protect against moisture and of course the use of Ipe is now frowned upon due to potential illegal logging practices.  Until recently, there was little thought given as to what we now call the ‘provenance’ or source of the timber and also the long-term sustainability of this precious decking material.

The devastation of deforestation

Without getting too pessimistic, it’s worth noting that the clearing of tropical rainforests is still happening at an alarming rate, despite the best endeavors of governments around the world. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN estimates that the world has lost a billion acres of forest since 1990, mostly in Africa and South America. The Amazon Conservation group reports that destruction rose by 21 percent in 2020.  Much of this unregulated illegal activity may find its way into the back yards of innocent consumers.

Read more here on deforestation.

So, what is the most sustainable timber for decking?

So, what is the most sustainable timber for decking?

Thankfully, we live in different and more enlightened times and these days virtually all construction materials come under the eco-spotlight from regulators, architects, installers and of course domestic dwellers who pay the bills.  Talking of consumers, it’s people like you who are taking the lead in interrogating the eco-credentials of building materials (especially when thinking of selling your property in the future).  Sustainable decking material is the way to go.

We’re discounting wood-plastic composite decking materials here because, as their name implies, they contain plastic elements and so our focus is on real wood. Many of the hardwoods that have been used in decking for so long take decades to grow slowly in tropical climes (sometimes eighty or ninety years) and it’s very difficult for them to be replaced; when they are cut down there is a huge corresponding loss in biodiversity in the forest around them. Most, if not all softwoods are not suitable on their own as they’re not durable enough, they require treatment to prevent premature rot and decay.

Ideally, consumers and timber installers in the US need a beautiful, natural timber that grows very fast and quickly in managed sustainable plantations. This needs to be an eco-friendly timber with impeccable credentials that is both legal and ethical. Oh, and it helps if it comes with a 25-year warranty against rot and decay, even in water, and is grey-colored all the way through to the core!

Accoya Color to the rescue

Accoya Color to the rescue

Accoya Color is ideal for timber decking projects in the US. Unlike slow-grown hardwoods it is sourced from sustainably sourced softwood that is FSC® certified with 100% proof of provenance. This natural softwood is then modified using our famous patented acetylation process that results in Accoya wood – in this decking product it is also now colored a beautiful grey through to the core…Accoya® Color. To achieve this, after acetylation, the newly modified timber goes through an extra dyeing process in a purpose-built facility using organic non-toxic color pigment.

Important elements for wooden decking are the durability of the material and the degree of maintenance required after installation, most of which involve chemical treatments of some kind or other. Accoya Color is just like its traditional Accoya stablemate in that it’s very low maintenance. There is no need for additional coatings (although it coats very well) and its grey color anticipates the natural silvering of wood when exposed to weathering over the years.

As Accoya Color comes with a warranty against rot and decay, even when installed in ground (a unique feature), it results in an eco-friendly timber that lasts for decades and consequently locks away carbon too. These wooden decks are 100% recyclable too after their decking life, further increasing their sustainable street-cred.

Accoya Color is available to buy in the US from a range of our official lumberyard partners that can be found on the link below.

Where to Buy

You can buy Accoya and Accoya products from our selection of distributors or manufacturers in your region. Use our map search tool to find your nearest Accoya supplier.

Find a supplier

10 great examples of Japanese burnt wood siding (Shou Sugi Ban)

If you’re looking for a siding material that creates a distinctive texture but one that’s also visually striking and adds a unique character to the exterior, look no further than Japanese burnt wood siding, also known as Shou Sugi Ban.

04.05.2022

KINGSPORT, Tenn., December 9, 2022

Accoya USA LLC, broke ground on its U.S. manufacturing facility in June and is on track to begin manufacturing Accoya, the ultra- high performance sustainable wood, in early 2024. The plant is a joint venture between Accsys, the only acetylated wood producer in the world, and Eastman a global specialty materials company. As part of the joint venture, Accsys leverages Eastman’s world-class acetyl production capabilities to produce its Accoya wood products.

North America represents the largest potential regional market for Accoya, and the new plant will ensure a ready supply of Accoya to the U.S. market.

“Our sales in North America grew 44% between our fiscal 2021 and 2022 years and we are seeing continued strong demand for Accoya,” said John Alexander, group sales director, at Accsys. “Once operational, the Kingsport site will double our Accoya 2022 production volumes.”

Accoya RoundUp Winter edition 2022

03.24.2022

We are pleased to share the latest Accoya production news in our Accoya Roundup Winter edition 2022 – including insight into our expansion program in Arnhem and an exciting update about North America

We also have a new Project Collection that brings together inspiring stories and images from Accoya projects all over the world.

If you have news or case studies you’d like to share for our next issue, please get in touch.

Click here to read our Winter issue 
Click here to signup for future issues and other Accoya news.
Decking-Grey

What is the best timber to use for decking?

A real wooden deck, expertly laid by professionals, is one of life’s joys to see and touch, especially in bare feet on a hot summer day. Who doesn’t love the thought of family and friends enjoying an impromptu gathering around an outdoor table, who knows, perhaps creating memories for life? So, what is the best timber to use for decking and why? In this blog we’ll look at various options and introduce you to our new high grade timber for decking with a beautiful built-in grey that we call Accoya® Color.

03.21.2022

How to choose decking?

How to choose decking?

When laying down or replacing a deck there are many options for the professional builder or homeowner to consider such as the deck board material to use, color, coatings, weathering, plus of course safety concerns such as possible slips and splinters. This is a big endeavor and likely to cost money and effort, so it pays to do your homework.

Sometimes there are too many choices in life, and this is especially true when you are looking to create or replace your deck. What material to choose, what color stain, if any, and perhaps considering other types of coatings too. So let’s narrow down the choices straight away by taking out the composite ‘wood’ decks that usually feature a mix of wood and plastic materials. These may last a long time, but nothing beats a natural real wood deck. So, in relation to wood decking, one of the major choice factors is durability, how long your chosen wood will last out in the open before rotting or decaying.

So, what is the best timber to use for decking and why?

So, what is the best timber to use for decking and why?

There are three types of wood suitable for decking:

  • hardwoods,
  • treated softwoods
  • modified wood (e.g. Accoya)

The Timber Decking & Cladding Association recommends that only timber that will last a minimum of 15 years be used for your deck (15 years would be a good return on your investment). Hardwoods that are classed as ‘very durable’ are popular. There are also some softwoods that can be used but they have to be pressure treated to reach that high grade. The last category includes Accoya of course – an award-winning product that starts out life as a sustainable softwood and is then modified to last for decades.

Another choice factor is maintenance. All real wood will weather in time if left outside and there can be issues such as splits and cupping as well, especially in harsher hot climates. It makes good financial sense to choose a low maintenance timber if possible (you don’t want to have to replace individual boards that fail).

Additionally, the sustainability of your chosen wood has now become one of the major factors, with good reason. Tropical hardwoods, although beautiful to see and touch, are increasingly being discounted for legal and ethical reasons. Which leads us to a beautiful, highly durable and very sustainable alternative…

Introducing Accoya Color

Accoya boards have been used for wood decking for years to great acclaim – let’s face it, thousands of architects, builders and landscape designers around the world can’t all be wrong! The boards combine the beauty of real wood with scientifically-proven durability that will last for years. Due to its incredible ability to withstand rot and decay, even in water, Accoya has become the standout choice for decking timber projects.

There is now a new addition to the Accoya family, Accoya Color, which has all the advantages of our traditional modified timber but with a beautiful and consistent grey color all the way through to the core. Accoya Color has gone through a patented color impregnation and fixation process at the dedicated Accsys Accoya Color plant.

Keeping it real

Keeping it real

Accoya Color is a natural wood with ultra-high performance and boasts excellent dimensional stability (it’s classified as a small movement timber and that’s ideal for deck projects).  It is barefoot-friendly, which means that you and your family can safely walk on the boards without the fear of splinters. It is not only easy to install, but requires very little maintenance throughout its lifespan.

Its beautiful grey color goes all the way through the wood;  a great feature is that the deck boards are straighter and easier to fix than alternative wood deck boards which means less waste during the build stage. There is also no cupping which can be a problem in other types of wood…when that happens individual boards have to be taken up and replaced, usually at great cost, but this isn’t an issue with Accoya Color.

Although Accoya Color is durable, it is also lighter in weight than alternative woods such as Ipe and even composite materials.

Keeping it green (or grey actually!)

Unlike deck boards that come from illegally cut hardwoods, Accoya Color is made from sustainably-sourced forestry and the wood is guaranteed, for extra peace of mind. The long product life also means that the naturally-occurring carbon within the wood is retained within the product for the duration of its lifecycle. An organic and non-toxic grey color pigment is used for the coloring process so Accoya Color wood is also 100% recyclable at the end of its life.

Where to buy

Accoya Color is available to buy in the US from a range of our official distribution partners that can be found here.

Accoya® wins Product Innovation Award

Architectural Products Magazine

02.10.2022

Accoya Wood featured in Architectural Products Magazine

Architectural Products

Accoya Wood featured in Architectural Products Magazine

Product Innovation Award Winner

We are excited to announce that Accoya was awarded a Product Innovation Award in the Architectural Products Magazine. Accoya was chosen thanks to its performance and sustainability credentials, one Judge commenting:

“Accoya is a transformative product making wood a resilient product, while being sensitive to sustainable harvesting”

Accoya is featured on page 52 in the November/December 2021 issue and an article on their website. This magazine is the leading product magazine of the U.S. architectural market, giving readers a thumbnail look at products, materials, systems and applications available for specification into commercial and institutional design work.

Featured Project Photos: Vichy Pool House | Accoya wood siding provided by Accoya Manufacturer, Delta Millworks

Predictions for Sustainable Building in 2022

What will characterize our sustainable cities of the future?

01.10.2022

In 2020, at 149 exajoules (or 149 quintillion joules), energy consumption for the construction and operation of buildings totaled 36 percent of global energy demand. Down from a peak of 150 exajoules in 2019, it is likely that pandemic lockdowns played a part in this reduction. Now, at a time when the world seems to have stood still for so long, we are beginning to allow ourselves to look forward and ponder on the shape of our future, and the general consensus is that this will begin with growth. As economies emerge from the pandemic, most believe that construction output will return to pre-COVID levels over the next year, and we have an opportunity to ensure that growth is sustainable. Below are our four key predictions for how this might look.

Sustainable Building Materials

Sustainable Building Materials

Actively guiding the construction industry towards a more sustainable path will not only ensure compliance with tightening green regulations, but improve brand image in an era where sustainability is king. A key consideration is reduction of waste and a more carefully considered stance on the materials we are using. Given that 11% of the energy and process-related carbon dioxide emissions from the buildings and construction sector in 2018 stemmed from manufacturing materials such as steel, cement, and glass, it makes sense to consider a move towards an altogether more eco-friendly choice: wood.

An inherent part of the natural environment, bringing sustainably sourced wood into our built environment champions nature and its fundamental biodegradability, allowing us to balance the need to provide for a growing population with the need to ensure the climate resilience of its future. In fact, the global green building materials market size is expected to have reached USD 364.6 billion by 2022. Of course, in this we must also step away from treating these materials with toxic paints and finishes, ensuring that they are truly biodegradable, and can safely be returned to nature at the end of their life.

Lifelong Wellbeing

Lifelong Wellbeing

Considering the return of wood to nature leads us on to the next key prediction, lifelong wellbeing. We must now be mindful of the entire lifecycle of the materials and building process and, beyond this, the health and wellbeing of those that work on and live in the buildings we erect. The World Green Building Council’s Six Principles for a Healthy, Sustainable Built Environment underlines the importance of the relationship between sustainable development and human wellbeing, detailing how harmony with nature and climate change action is linked to social values, including the health of construction workers.  Buildings made of wood have seen not only construction time, effort, and waste reduced by as much as 90%, but have had a positive impact on construction workers, whose exposure to the dust and toxic fumes of a regular building site is drastically lowered. Furthermore, wood buildings continue to have a positive impact on people throughout their lives as wood surfaces have been found to lower stress levels, improve attention and focus, and increase creativity. With the difficulty of the preceding two years, a movement towards design that benefits wellbeing is likely to be at the forefront of many minds.

Biophilic Design

Biophilic Design

Fundamental to development that centers itself upon wellbeing, is biophilic design. Biophilia, the human tendency to interact and be close to nature, is increasingly being integrated into architecture as we recognize the health benefits that come from a connectedness with the natural world. In fact, in the World Green Building Council’s principles mentioned above, biophilic design is a key tenet of ‘Harmony with Nature’. Not only can we achieve this through the use of wood, which is seen to bring a number of health benefits in itself, but through expanding this by bringing green in.

Net Zero Is Not Enough – Positive Is The New Neutral

Net Zero Is Not Enough – Positive Is The New Neutral

Our final prediction is that net zero emission targets will no longer cut the mustard. With several governments and large companies committing to net zero targets, reducing emissions is a global target. However, with increasing pressure from those who recognize this may no longer be enough, we believe there will be a push towards climate positivity: removing more greenhouses gases from the atmosphere than are released. In an industry that is responsible for a large portion of global emissions, we think companies have started to notice the scale of the positive impact we could have if we pushed for these more ambitious targets.

How Does Accoya Align With These Predictions?

How Does Accoya Align With These Predictions?

At Accoya, sustainability has always been at the heart of what we do. Our products are made out of FSC certified timber grown in well-managed forests that protect the surrounding natural biodiversity. Modified through a process of acetylation, which does nothing more than alter than existing natural compounds of the wood, it becomes more durable, stable, and better performing without the addition of a single toxic chemical. This ensures that not only is its life lengthened, but when this eventually comes to an end, the timber is completely biodegradable or recyclable. As if this wasn’t enough, by the end of their life Accoya timber windows and doors will have helped to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. That’s right, they’re climate positive. So, while sustainable materials, lifelong wellbeing, biophilic design, and climate positivity are set to be the four new sustainable building trends of 2022, we hope that by fulfilling every one of these, Accoya becomes the fifth.

How To Select Low Maintenance Wood SIding For Your Home by HOUZZ

Enhance the look of your home with high-performing, modified and responsibly sourced wood siding

12.20.2021

When it comes to boosting your home’s curb appeal, great-looking siding is hard to beat. Wood is one of the most popular options, and for good reason. It adds warmth and natural appeal to your exterior and sits beautifully alongside other materials such as concrete and steel. While regular wood siding typically requires regular upkeep to maintain its appearance, acetylated wood offers an easy-care, highly durable alternative.

Read on to discover more about this siding material that’s gaining traction among architects, designers and homeowners alike.

The Natural Appeal of Wood

The Natural Appeal of Wood

There are several products on the market that re-create the look of wood siding, but none capture the warmth and natural beauty of the real thing. Vinyl wood-look siding is a low-cost option, but being a look-alike plastic product, it will never give you the truly authentic appearance or texture of genuine wood. It also has a tendency to bend or crack in cold weather if subjected to impact, and it can conceal moisture issues in your home, which can potentially lead to dangerous mold growth. Engineered wood is relatively easy to install, but it doesn’t perform as well as tropical hardwood in an exposed setting, and it can swell if exposed to water for long periods.

Accoya’s modified wood siding, which is made from quick-growing, responsibly harvested pine, is an appealing alternative. It offers the stunning good looks of tropical hardwood (including increasingly rare species) while being more sustainable and outperforming even the most durable of woods, so you can create a healthier and more eco-friendly home for your family.

“Accoya is a modified wood that aims to overcome the shortcomings of standard timber,” says Jocelyn Mahan, marketing manager at reSAWN Timber. “The modification process enhances the performance of the wood, resulting in improved longevity. Accoya is modified by a process called acetylation, a cutting-edge, patented technology that enables it to resist rot, defy the elements and stay strong for decades.”

This residence (Six Square House) in Bridgehampton, New York, features charred Accoya Ikigai wood siding, burnt in the ancient Japanese style of shou sugi ban, which gives the exterior a uniquely textured, charcoal-like appearance while enhancing its performance and minimizing upkeep.

Low Maintenance

Low Maintenance

While standard wood siding requires annual maintenance, acetylated wood does not. Accoya wood siding offers superior durability and stability, which means it can cope with the toughest climatic conditions with minimal maintenance. It won’t visibly swell, shrink or distort, even in traditionally problematic spots such as around windows.

Coated finishes not only look beautiful on Accoya, but they last longer than on other surfaces, another reason why designers and architects love it.

The beautifully weathered facade on this lakeside home in Okoboji, Iowa, was created using Accoya Nigiri shou sugi ban wood siding. It blends in seamlessly with the landscape and speaks to the current trend toward natural, sustainable design. It will require very little maintenance to maintain its stunning good looks over its lifetime.

Durability

Durability

Siding is a major, long-term investment in your home, so the material you choose needs to be able to stand up to whatever your environment throws at it — now and for decades to come. Accoya siding is resistant to rot, decay and insect damage (including termites). It’s a cost-effective choice for lasting performance. “It’s guaranteed for 50 years above ground and 25 years in ground or fresh water — its performance and properties are remarkable,” Mahan says.

Exposed to heat, humidity and rain, this waterfront home in White Stone, Virginia, is subject to more weather extremes than most, so a high-performance siding material was a must. The material also needed to create a warm, organic feel that complemented the home’s natural setting. Accoya Nigiri wood siding was chosen (alongside charred cypress) for its superior durability and earthy, coastal feel.

Environmentally Responsible

Environmentally Responsible

When you’re building or remodeling your home, you want to know that the materials you choose are good for the occupants and kind to the environment. Accoya wood is fully sustainable — it’s responsibly sourced and harvested from certified sustainable forests, with every panel having FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification.

It’s also 100% nontoxic and contains no harmful chemicals, so you can breathe easy. The acetylation process of Accoya wood doesn’t add chemicals, which means the material is fully biodegradable at the end of its life cycle. “Accoya can be safely used, reused, recycled and incinerated,” Mahan says. “It also traps carbon for its full life cycle — it’s really sustainable.”

Accoya acetylated wood siding, windows and doors are also naturally insulating, which means they’ll help keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer, lowering your energy costs.

Design Freedom

Design Freedom

Siding presents a unique opportunity to get creative with the look of your exterior and wow visitors from the moment they pull up to your home. To achieve this, you’ll need a siding material that offers plenty of design flexibility.

Accoya comes in different board widths and finishes so you can easily mix up the look — and you can install them vertically, horizontally or even in patterns. It’s dimensionally stable so joints stay smooth for a tailored look. Add a colored coating, leave your Accoya wood untreated so it weathers naturally, or opt for the designer favorite seen in the home here: charred shou sugi ban. You can also combine it with other materials such as brick, steel, concrete or stone to create an eye-catching, layered look that you’ll appreciate every time you come home.

More: Learn more about Accoya’s range of long-life acetylated wood products by visiting our homepage here.

This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.

Decks That Impress: 4 Reasons to Choose Real Wood Decking by HOUZZ

Looking to refresh your outdoor area? Find out why a natural wood deck is the best place to start

12.20.2021

When it comes to enhancing your outdoor space, it’s hard to beat a beautiful deck. If you’re considering one, you’ve got some decisions to make since decks come in all sizes, shapes and materials. Whether you’re looking to extend your living space with a back deck, enhance the lounge area around your pool, add a roof deck for relaxing or install a durable dock, here are four compelling reasons to opt for real wood as your decking material.

1. Natural Beauty

1. Natural Beauty

For warmth and natural appeal, nothing compares with real wood as a decking material. With its beautiful texture and rich tones, wood’s authentic look oozes rustic charm and instantly elevates your outdoor entertaining space. What’s even better? If you’re after a more modern, on-trend look, you can reap the benefits of real wood with an extra touch of style thanks to pre-greyed decking boards.

Real wood is practical as well. It’s incredibly durable and able to stand up to the elements, regardless of the climate. And it feels wonderful to walk on, being warmer underfoot in winter and cooler in summer than other outdoor materials such as concrete, pavers and composite decking. Not only that, but the right wood is resistant to cracks and splinters, so it’s barefoot-friendly and still feels smooth over time.

Love the idea of real wood decking but concerned about the upkeep? You needn’t be — there are innovative new products on the market that give you all the beauty of real wood with none of the drawbacks. High-performance acetylated wood decking, which is made from quick-growing, responsibly sourced pine, boasts the good looks of tropical hardwood in a rot- and crack-resistant material that requires practically zero maintenance.

2. Stands Up to Its Surroundings

2. Stands Up to Its Surroundings

Whether you’re building a pool deck, a rooftop deck or a dock, real wood can be a durable choice, effective against rot and decay even when in contact with water. But it’s important to select the right type of wood: Pine and western red cedar are popular choices for wet areas like poolside areas and hot tubs. However, untreated wood can splinter (not ideal for those barefoot summer days by the water) and require regular upkeep to maintain its appearance.

Acetylated wood, on the other hand, is an extremely hard-wearing and easy-care alternative. It doesn’t require any coating and it resists rot, splintering and insect attacks, even in water. And unlike many other types of wood, it offers exceptional dimensional stability, which means the boards won’t visibly shrink or swell when subjected to rain, sun, heat and cold, so they’ll retain their smooth, tailored appearance for decades. Acetylated wood outlasts many other types of wood by decades, with manufacturers providing a 25-year in-ground or freshwater warranty and a 50-year above-ground warranty.

3. Ages Beautifully

3. Ages Beautifully

Unlike synthetic decking materials, genuine wood decking ages gracefully over time, acquiring a beautiful silvery grey patina that adds style and depth to your outdoor area. If you’d prefer not to wait around for the natural aging process to occur, you can purchase pre-greyed decking boards that are dyed all the way through from the surface to the core. Because of the sophisticated non-toxic dyeing process, there’s no need for repeated painting or recoating to maintain the wood’s good looks. The grey color remains long-term, with no need for re-oiling. (It also means that scratches and scrapes won’t be visible.)

Pre-greyed wood decking is an increasingly popular choice for designers and homeowners who are drawn to its sophisticated look and feel and the fact that it allows for a seamless connection with concrete or grey-tiled interior floors. Grey wood also sits beautifully alongside other popular exterior materials such as brick, slate and stone to create a warm and appealing outdoor palette.

4. Sustainably Sourced

4. Sustainably Sourced

Responsibly sourced and manufactured wood decking is an environmentally friendly material so it’s better for the health of your family and Earth. If you’re interested in going green, look for real wood with FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification for proof of sustainability. You’ll also want to check that it has been manufactured cleanly, without the use of toxic chemicals. One indication? Cradle to Cradle Gold (C2C Gold) certification, a globally recognized measure of a safer, more sustainable product.

4. Focus on Natural Materials

4. Focus on Natural Materials

As the saying goes, less is more. Choosing one “hero” natural material and using it in different ways across your home’s exterior can be a subtle, but very effective, way to bring cohesion to your home’s design. To create an uninterrupted sense of flow, you could carry the material through to the interior of your home or to any outbuildings.

The key to success when using a single natural material is to be creative with how you apply it. This award-winning boathouse (The Haven) in Norfolk, England, has been given light-tone Accoya wood cladding, decking and curved screening. As the property is surrounded by water on three sides, the architects selected Accoya wood for its water-resistant properties and dimensional stability, as well as its stunning natural looks and sustainability. The result is a graceful home that sits lightly in its tranquil coastal setting.

5. Play Up Textures

5. Play Up Textures

Natural appeal aside, wood cladding gives you endlessly creative ways to express your personal style. Take this three-story office building designed and occupied by architectural firm Dillon Kyle Architects in Houston, for example. It’s clad in 2,500 Accoya boards that have an abstract leaf-like pattern carved into the wood. The pattern references the oak trees that line the neighborhood, and it adds not just texture and softness to the modern structure but a unique personal touch.

“The Accoya wood boards are unsealed and allowed to weather over time,” says Peter Klein, associate principal architect at Dillon Kyle Architects. “The idea was to use a material where you couldn’t tell where the patterns started and stopped — just one big continuous object.”

As the wood siding would play a pivotal role in the look and performance of the building, the firm took their time choosing the right one. “Even left untreated, it didn’t warp or mildew or mold, and that let us know we were on the right path,” Klein says. “The neutral gray tones coupled with its long-term durability, resistance to rot and insects made Accoya wood the ideal material for this project.”

6. Go Skinny

6. Go Skinny

Add texture and depth to your home’s exterior with narrow boards for siding, louvers and screening.

For this luxury apartment block (Blackwood Street Apts) in Melbourne, Australia, the architect specified 40-by-40-millimeter Accoya wood boards with a coat of Woca Exterior Walnut Oil for the louvers and screening in the alfresco areas. The oiled boards create a soft and inviting feel while bringing a sense of intimacy to the apartment complex.

The rest of the detailing in this spot, including hardware and pavers, was deliberately pared back to keep the focus firmly on the textural wood.

Running slender boards vertically, as the architect has done here, is a clever design technique for making a low roof or ceiling appear higher. You can use this strategy both outside your home with wood siding and inside with wood wall lining.

If room height is not a concern, consider mixing vertical and horizontal patterns for added texture and interest inside or outside your home.

More: Learn more about Accoya’s range of sustainable, acetylated wood products by visiting our homepage here.

This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.

12 Inspiring Examples of Grand Designs using Accoya sustainable wood

There is no better way to unite sustainability and architecture than through the use of Accoya® in your home. The following examples of sustainable homes achieve grandeur through both design and innovation across a variety of unforgiving climates. Have a look for yourself why Accoya was chosen for each and every single one, and inspire your own design.

12.13.2021

Meadows Passive House

Meadows Passive House

The Meadows Haus in Park City, Utah, was designed and built to meet rigorous requirements set by the Passive House Institute (PHI). This voluntary building standard for energy efficiency minimises the ecological footprint of the building by reducing energy usage to ultra-low levels for both heating and cooling, and by maintaining particularly stable internal temperatures, regardless of climate.  

There is no superior cladding option for such tight constraints than sustainability-conscious and climate-resilient Accoya. This Utahan example of sustainable home architecture makes use of Shou Sugi Ban charred cladding to satisfy the needs of a family that was looking for a stylish, but inherently energy-efficient home. Designed by Klima Architecture, an ecosystem-informed firm whose projects are centred around energy-conscious designs and methods, this mountain residence is afforded not only sustainability, but beauty and grandeur also, by its Accoya cladding. 

Portsea Beach House

Portsea Beach House

If you’re looking for sustainable home architecture, Australia is not a bad place to start looking. This beautiful family beach house in Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, uses Accoya wood not only for its cladding, but for the decking, windows, and doors frames, too. The visual effect of this is a seamless example of indoor-outdoor living, that merges the house and the garden in an effortless show of simplicity, practicality, and elegance.  

Accoya naturally weathers to the silver-grey shade seen here, but the wood used on Portsea Beach House was coated with a bespoke stain to give the appearance of weathered Accoya from the off. Not only does this enhance the natural beauty of the materials, but their stability means that the coating will stay looking pristine for longer, extending the life of one of the most striking eco sustainable homes Australia has seen. 

Private Residence in Hamburg, Germany

Private Residence in Hamburg, Germany

Another building whose Passive House credentials mean it is likely one of the most sustainable homes for miles around is this private residence in Hamburg, Germany. The architects on the project specified Accoya for the 80 windows and 20 exterior doors to comply with the demanding requirements of the Passive House Institute. A distinct aesthetic to the projects seen above, these photos go to show how flawlessly Accoya can be integrated into a variety of design preferences, offering long-lasting splendour. 

With Accoya, swelling and shrinkage have found to be reduced by as much as 75%, meaning that there are no concerns over draughty gaps forming, or difficulties opening windows and doors, regardless of the time of year. Even more than this, the superior insulating power of this material reduces heat loss and, with it energy bills, meaning that residents can stay warm, comfortable, and content knowing that they are also saving money. 

Surfer’s Eco House

Surfer’s Eco House

You would be hard pressed to find many eco-friendly sustainable homes with a better view than this. Built for German professional surfer Flo Jung, he wanted an eco-home that would be resilient to the constant exposure to the sun and sea air of the South African coast. Built by Jung himself, he chose Accoya to fulfil these requirements, safe in the knowledge that he could return worry-free to his crack- and splinter-resistant decking from many a barefoot surfing outing. Accoya decking is guaranteed to last for 25 years, and timber siding above ground for 50, so this surfer’s paradise will continue contributing to the beauty and sustainability of this landscape for years to come. 

Casa Na Mata

Casa Na Mata

“Jungle House” overlooking São Paulo’s Guarujá Beach shows so beautifully how modern sustainable homes can be integrated with the natural environment by using Accoya. Our wood was used here not only for the decking and cladding, but also for some internal panelling and furniture, as well as for MUXARABI joineries. This unique joinery acts as a light filter, altering the projection of light into the building depending on the time of day, creating an ethereal beauty sympathetic to this house’s magical surroundings, mimicking the journey of sunlight through the jungle trees.  

It is unsurprising that Accoya was chosen here, as not only does its incredible durability place it perfectly to withstand the sea air and Brazil’s hot and humid climate, but its design flexibility means it is easily reconciled with both nature and a variety of architectural techniques.  

Passive House

Passive House

Grand designs are not only so because of their stature, but some through their integration of new technologies and conformation with cutting edge science. These two Passive Houses in Belgium are one such example of grandeur without the dimensions, proving that sustainable tiny homes are great in significance, if not in size. 

Accoya is used here for the windows and façade, offering enhanced insulation to fully satisfy the energy conservation requirements of the specification. Furthermore, recent carbon footprint research has shown that our windows are carbon negative over their full life cycle, contributing considerably to the fulfilment of Passive House standards and ensuring that these houses are significantly more environmentally friendly than those have uPVC, aluminium, or unsustainably sourced hardwood windows. 

Cabin by the Sea

Cabin by the Sea

When timber sustainable homes look like this, it’s not hard to see why they are becoming more and more popular. The entire exterior of this private residence in Sjursholmen in Søgne, Norway, is made using Accoya, including the façade, roof, outside deck, dock, and windows, and as Accoya wood is 100% non-toxic and contains no biocides or harmful chemicals, the owners can be sure that they are protecting the purity of the land and sea around them. The project’s architect underlined that Accoya’s stability and durability in the face of a tough Norwegian climate allowed him to indulge in “precise and sculptural expression” in the creation of the roof’s sharp edges. It is through Accoya that smart, sustainable homes are both striking and beautiful. 

New Zealand Residence

New Zealand Residence

Much like the Cabin by the Sea, this private residence is a striking example of how the outstanding durability and stability of Accoya can support exciting architecture. The large windows and doors here are raking in places and often meet at obtuse angles, build requirements made possible by the unique qualities of Accoya wood. Tested and trusted not to visibly swell, shrink, or distort, these eye-catching shapes will continue to be both remarkable and functional for lifetimes to come. 

Squirrel Hill Passive House

Squirrel Hill Passive House

The last of the Passives Houses on this list, this Accoya clad residence in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh is one to pin to the top of your self-sustaining home ideas board. When planning their ultra-energy efficient passive house, the physicist owners of this impressive abode were drawn not just to Accoya’s durability, but its long warranty and low carbon footprint. Indeed, Accoya comes from fast-growing sustainable forests, helping to reduce carbon emissions for a healthier planet, so these scientists can feel good not only about the stunning aesthetic of their home, but the sustainable foundations it is built upon. 

Luxurious Romanian Home

Luxurious Romanian Home

This ominous backdrop is a stark reminder of the drastic weather conditions Accoya can withstand. It performs so highly in these circumstances, in fact, that both the owner and architect of this property chose to use Accoya not only for the windows and terrace, as originally planned, but additionally for all applications throughout the home, including the façade, interior doors, indoor and outdoor furniture, terrace, garage door and railings. The result is a wonder in Accoya, a construction that persists through whatever Romania’s extreme climate can throw at it, meshing unparalleled structural integrity with sustainable natural beauty. 

Trulli of Alberobello

Trulli of Alberobello

Sustainable home ideas are all the sweeter when they are this beautiful. The Trulli of Alberobellopart of the UNESCO World Heritages sites, are dwellings found in the southern region of Puglia, Italy, made from limestone boulders collected from neighbouring fields. Their historic, distinctive shade is mimicked in the sympathetic use of Accoya in the pool decking of this private residence, made possible by the wide variety of finishes availableSee how the sun catches the boards, mirroring the subtle shades of the limestone, and emphasising the pure blue of the pool and sky. Grand designs don’t get much grander than sites of such historic importance, and with its sustainability credentials and long warranty there is no better choice than Accoya to compliment the longstanding heritage of this house’s surroundings. 

Lakeshore Drive Residence by Resawn Timber Co.

Lakeshore Drive Residence by Resawn Timber Co.

This lake house in Okoboji, Iowa was designed to preserve the existing mature trees in its grounds whilst illuminating expansive views of the lake from the road. The natural look of Accoya allowed for these views to be brought to life, as if they were painted on the side of the house itself, whilst blending effortlessly into the surrounding nature. The NIGIRI Shou Sugi Ban charred Accoya used here is designed and manufactured by reSAWN TIMBER co. and can be used for both interior and exterior wall cladding and, as each and every Accoya cladding panel is made from FSC® certified timber that’s fully sustainable, this house not only blends into the natural aesthetic of the area but also into the ethos of eco-living.  

Build It Awards 2021

12.02.2021

Accsys and Accoya® named Best Sustainable Technology or Product

Accsys and Accoya® named Best Sustainable Technology or Product

At the Build It Awards 2021, Accsys and Accoya won the Best Sustainable Technology or Product category. On the same night of November 26th, Accoya cladding coated with Sansin produced by James Latham plc also took a top prize at the British Woodworking Federation awards.

Accsys’ purpose is “changing wood to change the world”, and the team is very pleased and proud to see its work celebrated and acclaimed by the most knowledgeable people and organizations in the industry. Its Accoya solid modified wood product combines outstanding performance and durability with certified sustainability, enhancing the best benefits of wood as a building material with the company’s proprietary acetylation process to resist rot, decay and dimensional swelling or warping.

 

A week earlier, the company was also listed as a runner up on the shortlist for the IR Society Best Practice Award for Best ESG Communication. This marks a year of substantial progress in Accsys’ development of its Environmental, Social and Governance strategy and reporting: making sure the growing positive environmental impact of increasing its supply of products is matched with increasingly improved performance and transparency as a responsible and ethical business.

Rob Harris, CEO, said:
“I’m delighted to see the hard work of our talented and committed colleagues recognized and rewarded by the people and organizations leading our industry. I want to say ‘congratulations and thank you’ to everyone who helps make this possible – every single person and role in our business contributes to and deserves credit for these achievements. Our fantastic customers, distributors, and architects, specifiers, joiners and builders who make great use of our products every day are a big part of our success too. Thank you all!”

Accoya® featured in two winning projects at Wood Awards 2021

11.30.2021

Wood Awards 2021

Wood Awards 2021

In London on 25th November 2021, the Wood Awards winners were announced.

Held at the Building Centre, 8 projects were awarded after successfully being chosen during the rigorous judging process.

The prestigious awards celebrate excellence in architecture and product design in wood.

Accoya wood was used in two winning projects and in one highly commended project, details below.

See more details and the full list of 2021 winners here.

Small Project Winner - Built: East Pavilion

Small Project Winner – Built: East Pavilion

Accoya used for the intricate roof of this pavilion structure in Belfast.

Interiors Winner - St John Street

Interiors Winner – St John Street

Accoya used for internal joinery and interior at this property in London.

Highly Commended - Wooden Annex

Highly Commended – Wooden Annex

Accoya used for structural foundations and cladding on this extension of a private home in London.

Accoya Wood Siding in Aspen

Follow Matt Risinger around Aspen, Colorado, as he visits some beautiful Accoya wood siding projects by Delta Millworks in Aspen, Colorado.

11.04.2021

Accoya Siding Projects in Aspen, Colorado

Watch the video above to travel around Aspen, Colorado, and visit some beautiful Accoya wood projects from Accoya Approved Manufacturer Delta Millworks.

Matt Risinger, host of The Build Show, tours some amazing completed projects, including Accoya siding for the Starwood Fire Station and Kiva Residence. Risinger also visits some projects still in-progress and gives you an inside look at the installation process. Accoya was chosen for its warranty and ability to perform well in ever-changing Colorado climate. Each project demonstrates different ways to finish Accoya wood for siding. Follow along as Risinger takes you on a trip that will surely spark inspiration and ideas for your next building project.

  • Kiva Residence | Aspen, CO (Video – 1:16)

The Accoya wood used in the Kiva Residence is finished with a shou-sugi-ban charred finished. Delta Millworks also labels this finish as Accoya Gator because of its unique subtle reptilian-like surface finish. This burned finish creates a thick layer of char on the surface of the board, which serves as a natural barrier to the sun.

Builder: Koru Ltd. 

Architect: Zone 4 Architects

 

  • Hotel Jerome | Aspen, CO (Video – 3:58)

Right in the heart of downtown Aspen lays this historic building. Hotel Jerome is one of the great hotels in the American West, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1889). This project accomplished an ambitious renovation to honor this historic legacy.

Architect: Rowland Broughton

 

  • Starwood Fire Station | Starwood, CO (Video – 6:30)

This rural fire station for the Starwood community in Colorado. The pre-stained Accoya siding was chosen because of its water resistance and ability to maintain its tone and texture over time. This project was completed 3 years ago and still, the Accoya siding remains very stable and reliable in this harsh exterior environment.

Builder: GF Woods Construction

Architect: Charles Cunniffe Architects

 

  • 1940s Historic Log Cabin – House Addition  | Aspen, CO (Video – 15:38)

This historic building is adding an addition to the house. The client chose Accoya wood for the siding because of its warranty and ability to withhold the harsh weather conditions in Colorado. The tone and texture of the wood also accomplished their vision for a modern but compatible style next to this historic log cabin building. The client used a custom colored 3-coat system finish by Delta Millworks.

Builder: Okeanos Construction

Architect: Charles Cunniffe Architects (Ashley Satterfield)

 

  • Residential Home | Aspen, CO  (Video – 25:20)

This modern residential home will use uncoated Accoya wood with tongue and groove paneling for its siding. Prior to building, this Accoya wood was stored on the roof of the Delta Millwork’s building for about 6-12 months to grey out in the sun. To learn more about the installation process for this project, go to 26:17 in the video above.

Builder: Hansen Construction 

Architect: Zone 4 Architects

 

 

Project Collection now live on accoya.com

10.25.2021

Inspirational projects

The Accoya Project Collection provides an extensive look at some of the most inspirational uses of Accoya from around the Globe. From the stunning architectural design of Barangaroo House in Sydney, Australia, to the glorious Banff Observation Deck in Canada.

You’ll find a range of projects showcasing the use of Accoya in Siding, Decking and Windows & Doors.

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