First off, we have the Hotel Rotterdam Airport. This is a special project in a special location, as it is not often that you get to build right next door to Rotterdam Airport. Accoya was chosen by both the contractor and the architects as the perfect material to use for cladding. The most important aspect of the wood was its need to be fire-resistant as well as durable, stable, and sustainable.

The underlying idea in the age we now live in is to construct safe buildings by adhering to the strict criteria that go with it. Let’s not forget the emphasis on sustainability, which is becoming increasingly important. For this project, the aspect of sustainability in connection with the environment and the surroundings is not only represented by the Accoya façade cladding but also by the plants that decorate it. In this way, all parts of the building have contributed towards creating a beautiful, stable, sustainable hotel that gives its guests a warm welcome.

Accoya was chosen for the material used for the Olive Seymour Boardwalk located at Herdsman Lake Regional Park. As a result of the previous boardwalk made using Jarrah rotting, Accoya wood was used to replace decking boards, handrails, and joists.

The RHS embarked on ambitious plans to realise their fifth garden—a 154-acre site in the former Worsley New Hall grounds, on the outskirts of Salford. White Cottage Greenhouses were commissioned to design, manufacture, and install two large mono-pitch lean-to glasshouses in the new Paradise Garden, designed by Tom Stuart-Smith. The garden was created within a heritage landscape and is the first RHS garden in the North West of England’s climatic and ecological conditions.

White Cottage has been successfully manufacturing painted-timber greenhouses for many years. Their ethos has always been to create a genuine timber-framed greenhouse while minimising maintenance and decay risk. This made them the perfect fit for this project.

Over the last five years, White Cottage has shifted entirely over to Accoya wood, and so there was no other material choice for the Paradise Garden superstructures. With Accoya, excessive movement in tongue and groove boards is eliminated, meaning cracks in paint are far less likely to occur. There are time savings in the joinery manufacturing process, fewer defects such as knots, and better performance all around, as well as outstanding, guaranteed durability.

A key feature of Accoya is that the coatings will last longer than on other timber products. White Cottage believes that Accoya is easier to paint and requires less preparation than other timber alternatives.

The uniquely designed piece of public artwork, Please Be Seated, was made from 1440 planks of Accoya timber and designed by London-based designers, Paul Cocksedge Studio. Accoya is a fantastic timber to use for sculptures such as this one due to its high performance, yet what is particularly outstanding is that you don’t need to sacrifice performance for non-sustainable timber. A key benefit of making Accoya the material of choice is the Cradle to Cradle Gold Certification. This recognises that Accoya is fully circular, with no added synthetic materials, fully recyclable, and non-toxic. The Accoya planks are supported by a framework of bent steel designed to be easily assembled and disassembled for travel.

The structure was fabricated in partnership with UAP, and the Accoya was sourced and supplied by a local Accoya-approved distributor, Jiangsu Dragon Wood (JDW). Paul Cocksedge Studio worked with JDW to complete and install, managing the entire process remotely as a result of COVID restrictions.

The Belgian Kalmthoutse Heide park has gained a valuable landmark: a new 42-metre-high fire watchtower. Architect NOHNIK and construction partners Bureau Bouwtechniek and Ingenieursbureau ABT Belgi created an elegant truss structure by perfectly combining wood and steel. From every angle, the fire watchtower offers a dynamic and panoramic view over the natural landscape of the Kalmthoutse Heide.

Accoya wood was the material of choice for the railings, balustrades, and fire watchtower—the ultimate contrast to the steel truss construction frame. A variation of wood thicknesses and spacing was used, creating a sophisticated look, and thanks to the colour and material combination of Accoya wood, the tower harmonises beautifully with the surrounding natural landscape.

With regular inspection and care, you’ll enjoy a beautiful finish for decades to come.

Inspect your joinery regularly. Any damage in the paint should be addressed immediately to prevent moisture ingress and water entrapment under the coating. Like most things, wooden joinery can greatly benefit from regular inspection, care and maintenance – just like an annual service on a boiler or car. We strongly recommend annual inspection, cleaning of the frames and maintenance.

Please speak to your coatings supplier about supporting documentation such as care and full maintenance recommendations.

This video is based on best practice techniques and will help you keep your windows looking their best for even longer.

We have already referenced some of the properties of uPVC that made it seem such a compelling material for application in window frames and even doors when launched in the 1980s:

Cheap: There is not getting away from the fact that uPVC window frames are possible to mass produce and therefore drive down the cost of manufacturing. Compared with bespoke timber framed windows uPVC can seem like a significant cost saving, although it is necessary to look at the full life cost – something we will refer to again later in the article.

Low maintenance: uPVC was introduced into the market as a wonder product that required little to no maintenance, which is an attractive proposition when faced with the alternative of timber windows, particularly with the paintwork which is prone to flake off over time. uPVC window frames do have their own issues however which are important to reference here.

• Structural integrity – even though uPVC is relatively durable, their light weight means that they’re prone to sagging. Essentially the weight of the glazing can cause the frame to bend, an issue not seen with wood or aluminium window frames
• Discoloration – over time uPVC window frames will discolour and peel. This is due to extensive UV exposure with the frames turning an unsightly yellow colour. Unlike timber frames which can be re-painted the same cannot be said with uPVC. If you’re looking to smarten up your house, you have little alternative other than replacing your windows.

Durability: One of the key selling points of uPVC window frames is claimed durability – probably the most important factor when deciding what type of window frames you go with. Compared to soft wood timber frames uPVC undoubtedly has a clear advantage here, but as we know different types of wood have different properties and we must be careful not to lump them all together. What is the best way of establishing how durable a product really is? Well, looking to see what the manufacturer warranty or guarantee offered is a good place to start. You will struggle to find a uPVC window maker that offer a warranty of more than 10 years on the uPVC elements of the window. There are plenty examples of uPVC windows that have lasted longer than 10 years, but it gives you an insight into how long they expect their product to last. By contrast, the best performing wood brands such as Accoya wood have been offering warranties of up to 50 years on their product.

Whilst it was the Romans that pioneered the use of glass for windows, wood has long been the preferred choice of material for window frames. The size of one’s window through history has often represented wealth and class, and as window making techniques evolved, so the size of windows has increased. In the seventeenth century the fashion became to have taller, rather than wide windows, and to facilitate this they were often divided into four. In the same century the sash window was invented with the top sash fixed and the bottom sash sliding upwards.

In term of the species of wood used, oak and pine were the two most common, with oak offering better durability than the softwood pine.

The very thing that makes wood so good to look at and to touch, is also part of its inherent limitation as a building material… Wood is a natural, organic material which over time and subject to certain conditions like rain will decay or rot. However, whereas all uPVC broadly has the same properties and performance, wood covers a huge spectrum of performance from the cheapest low performance softwood, all the way through more robust hardwoods, and to the pinnacle of high performance and durability – acetylated wood, otherwise known as Accoya. Like we discussed on uPVC, you really need to determine how long you expect to be living in your house… Cheaper softwood window frames might last 7-10 years, slightly worse than uPVC, whereas a hardwood window frame (such as iroko, sapele, or even oak) could be expected to last anywhere from 10-30 years. This would depend on the exposure of the window (to sun and rain), the climate, or even the quality of the wood, which can vary batch to batch. For the belt and braces approach, an Accoya window frame is warranted for 50 years, with an expected service life from between 77-90 years, according to a recent study by the Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

It goes without saying that you want doors and windows that will stay in good condition for years, but how can you guarantee the timber you choose will hardly shrink, warp, or move? Step forward Accoya wood, a modified wood product that uses a non-toxic process to create a product that rivals the performance of the best hardwoods.

Not only can Accoya wood withstand the test of any climate, including the most extreme, it brings unprecedented reliability as it’s more stable than other timbers; it is checked and trusted not to move significantly as a result of changes in humidity.

Bonus tip: With Accoya wood’s 50-year warranty on above-ground timber (surpassing teak), you’ll be safe in the knowledge that your forever home will look good for decades.

Whether you’re going for traditional wooden sash windows frames, bay windows or architectural glazing, the aesthetic appeal of your frames is a key consideration. Accoya wood is easy to work with, so it’s ideal for both period or contemporary joinery, while bespoke sizes and designs offer plenty of creativity, allowing you to have a truly unique look.

Accoya wood’s style benefits don’t stop there. Its naturally light colour affords a wide range of translucent colour options, from light oak to the darkest ebony. The stability of Accoya wood means that black paints can be used with confidence on external applications.

All Accoya is sourced from managed and replenished forestry winning awards all around the world for its environmental credentials.

Thanks to Accoya’s unparalleled stability, Accoya windows and doors open effortlessly all year round and will continue to do so for decades to come. This lack of movement not only enhances performance but also significantly prolongs the life of coatings, enabling Accoya windows to remain looking pristine for many, many years.

Accoya is a far better natural insulator than any other wood thereby keeping homes cosy and energy costs down. Vastly reduced maintenance costs combined with sustainability makes Accoya windows a solid long-term investment at little cost to the environment.

If you want to make your house ‘winter ready’, an important step is to invest in a well insulated, beautiful front door.

This may not apply to new-build homes, given the stricter requirements for more energy-efficient construction of new homes, but this story does apply to existing homes.

You could choose to use special insulation materials and draft excluders, but even then you will be surprised how much heat can be lost from around the edges. That is why, in some cases, installing a new front door is a wise choice.

And you don’t need to compromise on material either. A stunning front door that doesn’t swell or jam is possible with Accoya and worth the investment.

And don’t forget, your front door is the first thing your guests will see and first impressions count!

Accoya is a modified wood product, which uses a non-toxic formula to create a product which rivals the performance of the best hardwoods, while being highly sustainable and ethically sourced at the same time.

One of many the advantages of Accoya is that it is much less prone to shrinking and swelling with changes in humidity than other types of wood, and therefore doesn’t suffer from the movement issues of oak.

And because it is a much more stable timber, it requires far less maintenance than other timbers and does not need to be re-coated as often.

Though Accoya is naturally a lighter colour than oak and has a different grain pattern it can be stained to match the colour of oak such that from any distance it is hard to tell the difference.

An additional benefit of Accoya is that it has significantly better insulation properties than oak, so using Accoya means much warmer rooms, with lower heating bills as well.

Designed and manufactured by Bath Bespoke, Accoya was selected for the windows and French windows and doors throughout this stunning country home on the outskirts of Bath.

All the windows and doors were completely bespoke and crafted using traditional methods by the team at Bath Bespoke. Working closely with their clients and their selected architects, Bath Bespoke combined a mixture of styles – some sleek, contemporary elements and some period style mouldings to complement the exposed stone throughout the property.

Accoya was chosen as the ideal wood for the project thanks to its seamless quality finish and its ability not to shrink or swell during seasonal weather changes, meaning Accoya doors and windows open and close effortlessly all year round.