Thermowood is a modern and beautiful finishing material. Thermal wood: manufacturing, properties, application Do-it-yourself wood heat treatment equipment

The impact of high temperature on wood changes its properties, making the material more resistant to negative natural factors and mechanical stress. As a result of the study by scientists of wood modification, a new material appeared - thermowood. The Finns were the first to invent the method. It consisted of preliminary drying and heat treatment of the material without the addition of chemical additives. But it is impossible to do without chemistry completely. The fact is that thermal wood acquires a grayish tint from exposure to ultraviolet rays. Chemical blockers help to preserve the beautiful color of the material.

To produce the material, wood is heated to 140-270°C. The maximum heating temperature depends on the density of the wood. Partial combustion of xylose in drying chambers changes the quality of the material. From conifers, heat drives out the resin.

Thermowood acquires a caramel color and equilibrium moisture. Not only the external, but also the internal structure changes, therefore, the cut point of the processed board has the same color, has the same strength as the surface. Heat treatment is combined with water, which leads to the hydrolysis of the constituent parts of the tree.

The floor on the veranda made of thermowood is not afraid of humidity and temperature changes

Now thermowood is produced by four methods:

The single-stage steam treatment method takes place in special units similar to drying chambers. The technology provides for the supply of steam, which reduces the oxygen content of the chamber to 3.5%. In wood heated to 150-200 ° C, oxidation slows down. Pre-dried wood is processed for about 3 days. Heat treatment of raw wood requires more time, taking into account drying.
The multi-stage method resembles the brewing process. The technology consists in wet processing of wood with steam or water. Cooking takes place at a temperature of 150-200 ° C in a sealed chamber under a pressure of 1.6 MPa. Next, the material is dried for about 4 days in a chamber until a moisture content of 10% is reached. At the onset of the hardening phase, the wood is heated for 16 hours to a temperature of 170-190 ° C.
Another method of hot working involves immersing dry wood in oil. The process takes about a day. The oil is slowly heated for about 4 hours to a temperature of 180-220 ° C. During the entire warm-up period and until it cools completely, the wood absorbs the oil.
The method of treatment with inert gases is called rectification. The technology provides for the treatment of wood with nitrogen with 2% oxygen under pressure.

Exterior finish of the house with thermal wood

Processing class

Thermowood is produced at different temperatures. It is this difference that divides the material into three classes:

thermal wood of the 1st class is produced at a temperature of 190 ° C. The material has low technical characteristics with a small change in color;
material of the 2nd class is obtained after treatment with a temperature of 210 ° C. Thermowood becomes durable and resistant to decay. At the same time, it loses plasticity, becoming more brittle. The color of the material of the 2nd class is darker than that of the previous one;
the highest class of wood heat treatment is 3rd. Thermal wood after firing at a temperature of 240 ° C acquires high density becoming more resistant to negative natural factors.

Thermal wood in the decoration of the area near the pool

Material characteristics

Heat treatment gives wood many positive qualities:

dimensional stability is the main positive quality that thermowood is endowed with. material will not change appearance from the influence of many negative factors. Thermal wood, unlike ordinary wood, does not change shape due to moisture, because it has an equilibrium moisture content close to zero and does not absorb steam;
an important indicator is the long service life and strength of the material. Heat treatment increases service life wooden planks up to 20 times. From high temperature, polysaccharides partially decompose in wood. The resulting protective qualities prevent the development of mold and the appearance of insects;
thermowood is highly resistant to fires. Dry natural wood instantly flares up. The modification process reduced the risk of ignition of the material to a minimum;
the aesthetic appearance of the material allows the introduction original ideas design. In terms of structure, thermal wood is similar to elite species of tropical trees, surpassing them in durability.

Thermal decking garden path

Application area

Thermal wood is used wherever ordinary wood is used. This is a very expensive material and you just need to make the right decision about the appropriateness of its use. For example, inside a building, it is cheaper to finish walls and floors with ordinary wood. Such expensive material is used where it justifies its costs:

Bathroom with thermal wood

Self-heat treatment of wood

Many enthusiasts are interested in how you can heat-treat wood yourself at home. In fact, this is a complex production. On the forums, you can meet inventors who made a drying chamber with their own hands from a railway tank with a capacity of 15 cubic meters. m. The main condition for production is the complete tightness of the chamber. Otherwise, the presence of oxygen will contribute to the ignition of wood during heating above 135 ° C. And steam will be required.

The simplest do-it-yourself heat treatment method is to boil a small wooden blank for 1.5 hours in water. Then wrap it in cloth and old newspapers, put it near any heat source to dry. This method is used by wood carvers to dry linden.

Although the heat treatment of wood gives it many advantages, it is still necessary to treat the thermowood with a special waterproofing compound. These are natural and synthetic oils with additives. They are selected depending on the type of wood, color, place of use of the material.

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video instruction on how to make, features of tinting, how to paint, give the effect of aging, price, photo

All photos from the article

The consumer has played enough modern materials, and the "sterile" plastic European-quality repair has set the teeth on edge for many. To dilute the refined style of fashionable coatings, some wooden parts of the interior and furniture should be aged. We will tell you how to give the effect of antiquity to a tree at home.

Antique wood processing allows you to create the effect of vintage furniture and a luxurious interior.

Method features

The photo shows an example of an aged garden furniture.

Before processing a semi-antique wood, it is advisable to study and understand the technique this process. We are faced with the task of simulating the natural aging of the material, so let's figure out what exactly happens in this case.

The wood is heterogeneous and consists of many layers, which are visible on the cut in the form of so-called annual rings. These layers are formed during the growth of the plant.

And due to the fact that this growth occurs in various temperature and weather conditions (noticeable fluctuations in weather and temperature indicators are observed from year to year), the density and strength of the layers differ significantly.

Wood consists of many layers of different density.

During the operation of the material, it is subjected to a number of different destructive factors, including erosion under the influence of precipitation, wind, solar radiation, etc.

Since the layers have different strengths and densities, they are destroyed unevenly:

softer faster;
stronger - slower.

As a result, the surface of the material acquires a characteristic relief, which distinguishes old wood from young wood. In addition, the fibers change color: some darken more, others turn yellow, individual layers remain light. This is how the patina appears.

In the process of aging, relief and patina appear.

Thus, we are faced with the task of achieving a similar effect, namely:

Expose the material to such an impact, as a result of which the destruction of the layers of wood will occur, which, taking into account their heterogeneity physical characteristics will result in a relief. Of course, this must be done in an accelerated mode compared to natural erosion;
Give the surface a color similar to the change in natural color as a result of prolonged exposure to the environment. In other words, we must produce artificial patination.

Board after artificial processing.

There are several ways to simulate the natural erosion of a material:

Mechanical restoration. Using abrasive tools such as metal and nylon brushes, aging-like relief can be created;
Heat treatment. Helps create relief and change the color of the fibers. Blowtorches and gas burners are used;
Chemical processing. Solutions of strong alkalis corrode cellulose, creating uneven destruction in different layers.

Patination is carried out using various oils, paints, waxes and stains. Next, we will show you how to paint antique wood with the simplest tools.

Patination with wax.

Important! The price of antique-finished furniture and building lumber is very high. With the help of our guide, you can create them yourself from the most ordinary wood.

Antique wood processing

Mechanical

Mechanical processing is the most effective way of aging.

Mechanical aging is called wood brushing, from English word"brush" - "brush". Accordingly, an abrasive brush should be used for work.

Roughing with a grinder.

The process consists of three main steps, which are outlined in the following table:

Sanding with a nylon brush.

Important! First, you should practice cutting the board in order to understand the nuances of the process, feel the pressing force and select the desired abrasive caliber.

Thermal and chemical

Piece of timber after firing.

Another popular way to give wood the effect of antiquity is firing. Since the layers of the material have different physical and chemical characteristics, as a result of exposure to high temperatures and flames, they burn out with different intensity.

For work it is best to use a gas burner. Gasoline blowtorches smoke a lot, which can add extra work to us.

A fairly inexpensive Chinese burner with a cylinder.

So let's get started. We take a board and start burning it with a flame gas burner. We make sure that the material does not flare up, but is evenly charred over the entire surface.

The degree of charring is selected individually depending on the type of wood and the desired effect. Typically, the surface is brought to a substantially solid black.

The photo shows the approximate degree of charring.

After the board has cooled down, it is subjected to grinding with the help of the same brush. It is necessary to remove carbon deposits so that some layers become light, others remain slightly darkened, and still others are completely black.

Important! hallmark method is the fact that as a result the board does not need additional tinting. Although, it can also be appropriate.

During chemical treatment, a concentrated solution of alkali such as caustic soda or potassium is applied to the surface. The board is left for a long time, which depends on the chemical used and the type of wood.

Then the alkali is washed off with water and a weak solution of acetic or citric acid, and subjected to the grinding described above.

Preparation of alkali solution.

Toning

Antique wood tinting with wood stain.

Wood darkens over time. Therefore, it is better to use pigments of dark shades for work. It can be interior oil, acrylic paint, stain or wax.

Applying oil to the treated board.

First, paint or oil is applied with a brush to the entire surface, quite abundantly. Then they take a cotton rag and erase the pigment from the protruding fragments of the relief, giving the surface an expressive texture.

Wipe the top layer with a cloth.

Finally, the surface is covered with a transparent varnish for coloring wood, which flows into the recesses and smoothes them. This work can be considered completed.

Conclusion

Wooden products can be quite easily aged at home using simple tools. The video in this article demonstrates the entire process in detail.

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STROJABC.RU - Heat treatment of wood

As you know, wood is a beautiful, but capricious material. Fluctuations in temperature and humidity, fungi and mold - all this can seriously degrade the quality of wood. Therefore, it is customary to process a tree before use, and until recently, processing was understood only as a chemical effect, which did not have the best effect on the environmental friendliness of the resulting wood. Since 2004, the EU has banned the use of chemically treated wood. At the same time, technologies for heat treatment of wood, which are an alternative to chemical ones, began to be mastered.

To date, there are several methods of heat treatment of wood. All of them are based on the use of very high temperatures, but otherwise they differ. So, the very first method of thermal action is based on the processing of wood in air at a temperature of 200-240°C. Another technology involves the use of saturated steam, increasing the pressure and temperature to 185-212°C. There are also methods of thermal impact on wood in nitrogen or oil environments.

What is the heat treatment of wood? Under the influence of high temperatures, a number of wood parameters are improved:

Heat-treated wood has increased water repellency, which prevents the wood from rotting. Resistance to decay is also connected with the fact that at a processing temperature above 2000 C, the chemical decomposition of semi-cellulose and lignin occurs, which is simply impossible with conventional drying.
As a result of a decrease in the moisture level of wood, its heat capacity sharply decreases (by 10–30%). As a result, heat-treated wood heats up very slowly, which is important, for example, for baths.
Heat-treated wood is more stable. During operation, it tolerates changes in air humidity much better.
The heat treatment process significantly increases the resistance of wood to biological damage (the reproduction of fungi and microorganisms)
The degree of deformation due to weather conditions in heat-treated wood is 20-90% less than in untreated wood.
Under the influence of high temperatures, the wood acquires magnificent shades. The most common types of wood for our latitudes, such as pine or birch, after heat treatment, in their appearance resemble exotic species.

Heat treated wood finds wide application in areas such as exterior and interior decoration of buildings and premises, production of parquet, furniture, wooden fences. Due to its exceptional moisture resistance, heat-treated wood is successfully used in the manufacture of floor coverings for bathrooms and showers, as well as for paving areas around swimming pools and yacht decks.

Wood also has its drawbacks. So, increased temperature reduces the elasticity of wood, as a result of which it becomes more fragile than usual. Therefore, for the device of load-bearing structures designed to withstand heavy loads, it is better not to use thermal wood.

Heat treated wood - WikiStroy

In 1997, one of the Finnish woodworking factories in Mikkeli introduced new technology, which was named<термообработка>. With this technological process, drying is carried out at a temperature of 150 - 230 degrees. The higher the temperature, the greater the weight loss due to the evaporation of volatile compounds (in other words, the wood becomes lighter). The greater the weight loss, the less water remains in the wood. Depending on the conditions of heat treatment and the type of wood, the residual moisture content of wood is 40 - 60% less than that of conventionally dried wood.

The heat treatment process usually takes about 24 hours. The moisture content of wood after heat treatment is reduced by 80 - 90%. As a result, its heat capacity is significantly reduced: heat-treated wood heats up much weaker than untreated wood, approaching abash in this indicator. The surface of heat-treated wood is not porous, but dense, which significantly reduces the wood's ability to absorb moisture from the air (by 30% - 90% depending on the temperature and drying time).

In practice, this means that the tree is able to repel water without additional treatment with special impregnations. During heat treatment, wood sugars decompose, which are a breeding ground for microorganisms that contribute to wood decay. It becomes extremely resistant to decay, approaching larch in this indicator, and, consequently, a hygienic material.

It should be especially noted that coniferous woods almost completely lose their resin, retaining a wonderful aroma, which intensifies with increasing humidity and air temperature.

During heat treatment, the wood changes color, acquiring a beautiful brown tint. It should be noted that the color change is through, which is clearly visible on the cut. Scratches on such a surface are almost invisible. By varying the heat treatment temperature, it is possible to achieve the desired shade of wood and / or degree of resistance to environmental conditions.

Where is heat treated wood used?

Due to the beautiful appearance and unique properties of heat-treated wood, it can be used in many areas, including for interior decoration saunas, for the outer cladding of buildings, flooring, both parquet and plank, for the manufacture of garden furniture, boats, musical instruments, etc.

From the point of view of planetary ecology, heat-treated wood (including softwood) is a material for shelves in saunas and baths. worthy alternative traditional abash-sambo, which grows only in equatorial evergreens, the so-called<дождевых>forests - the main source of oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere, which cannot be restored."

What happens to wood during heat treatment?

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for wood at home

Hello dear readers and subscribers of Andrey Noak's Blog! Do you know what is the most important thing in wood materials? This is a quality dryer. Every business uses special technology drying. But if you want to dry the material yourself, then I will tell you how a do-it-yourself vacuum dryer is made. But first, some theory.

Wood is a hygroscopic material, this is due to the fact that wood absorbs water vapor from the air. Each wood material has a different degree of humidity, depending on storage conditions and the environment.

Why dry wood?

Drying is the process of removing moisture from a material by evaporation. When a tree grows, the metabolism in it is carried out with the help of moisture circulation through the trunk. When cutting, circulation stops and moisture begins to evaporate. In order to build a house or make any wooden product, you need to dry the logs with high quality.

Purchased vacuum dryer

Well-dried material is protected from fungi, damage and cracks, and the service life will increase markedly.

If the drying was of high quality, then the product will serve you for many years.

Wood is divided into categories depending on the degree of moisture:

wet is the one that was in the water and its humidity is one hundred percent;
freshly cut, with humidity ranging from 50 to 100%;
air-dry, in cases where the material has been exposed to air for a long time. The moisture content of such wood is approximately 15-20%;
room-dry, with humidity 8-12%
absolutely dry, the humidity of which is equal to 0.

Wet material will be difficult to process, but is flexible and elastic.

Dry wood properties

Dry material has greater biological stability. After drying, the strength increases, it withstands the load better. It is easy to process, and the products do not crack after processing, unlike gray wood, in which the rotting process can even begin under suitable conditions.

Old ways of drying

A long time ago, people used only wood to build houses. In the houses you can find wooden utensils. Therefore, it was necessary to come up with methods for high-quality drying of a log, as the main building material. At that time, people used several methods of drying.

wood evaporation

For this method, the necessary piece of wood, water and sawdust were taken. The water was heated to 70 degrees, the workpiece was placed in it, then covered with sawdust and left for a certain time so that the material was steamed.

After drying, the workpiece did not crack, and the structure became more dense and flexible.

Waxing

Waxing is another method that has been widely used for a very long time. Here, wooden blanks were lowered into paraffin heated to 40 degrees and left for several hours. It was important to maintain the same temperature of the substance.

After the procedure, the wood should dry for several days. The properties of the material change after drying. The workpiece does not crack, does not rot and acquires an original tinted shade.

Masters used this method of drying to make wooden utensils, then the finished product was skillfully painted.

Wood moisture, measurement methods

There are many ways to determine humidity. Special devices are used to accurately determine the moisture content of wood. Electric moisture meters are able to determine humidity with an accuracy of 2-3%. The basic principle of such devices is based on the fact that wood of different moisture content has different electrical resistance.

There are many more "folk" ways to determine humidity, but only professionals use them:

By weight, weighing the same pieces of wood of the same species in the hand or on the scales alternately.
Experienced experts determine the moisture "by eye", by the presence of cracks and faults.
By strand. When processing lumber, small chips are compressed in a fist. If it wrinkles easily, then the material is wet. Dry wood is indicated by the fragility of the chips, but if the chips crumble, then most likely the tree has dried out.
By cutting. If during the processing of wood with a chisel a wet trace is noted, and the material is easily, smoothly cut, then it is not dried. It is better not to carve on such a surface, as cracks and flaws will appear when it dries.

We assemble a vacuum dryer at home

It is very profitable to dry the wood yourself, and if you do it with a vacuum dryer, the drying time will be reduced significantly. But buying vacuum drying at factories is expensive, and I will tell you how you can make it yourself, and also save on it.

Drying at home takes place in special chambers. To equip it, you will need a large room, a heat source, as well as a fan to distribute heat inside the structure.

Be sure the floor, walls and ceiling of such drying must be very strong, reinforced concrete or an iron conveyor is best suited. If you take a cheaply used iron conveyor, for example, with railway, then it will be even very cheap option. Or, for example, to reduce the cost, you can weld the conveyor yourself from old iron.

To preserve heat inside the chamber, we strengthen the walls with foam plastic and trim with clapboard. Instead of foam, you can use mineral wool or other insulation.

To reflect heat, you need to lay a special material. You can use foil, but penofol is also suitable, especially since its heat-reflecting and retaining qualities are much better.

We proceed to the installation of the heating device. The entire heating system must be installed separately from other heating circuits and must constantly work. You can use a heating radiator, with which water is heated to 65-90 degrees. In order for the heat to be equally distributed in the chamber, a fan is required, otherwise there will be uneven drying of the raw materials and, accordingly, poor quality. Another point, the temperature in the chamber should change smoothly and gradually.

When building your own dryer, you must comply with all fire safety rules.

An important point is the construction of a system for loading lumber into the chamber. You will be loading large and fairly heavy boards. For this, carts moving on rails or a forklift are well suited. The material inside is stacked on shelves or just on the floor. To control the drying process, you must install special sensors, and these are thermocouples and vacuum (pressure) sensors. Having done everything right, you can get very high-quality wood with a good presentation.

The main point in the construction of drying is to achieve the necessary parameters inside the chamber, and the materials and equipment that were used do not matter. In your chamber you can reduce the drying process of raw materials up to 2 weeks.

How Vacuum Drying Works

After you have put the material in the drying chamber, tightly closed the door, you can start drying. Air is extracted from the chamber to create a vacuum of about 9 - 10 bar. It is known that when the pressure is reduced, the water boils faster.

Thanks to this technology, bound and free moisture will move uniformly from the center to the periphery, thereby ensuring high-quality and uniform drying of the material, regardless of location.

Dry top wood cells will absorb moisture from those located in the core. First, thin places dry out, then moisture from thicker layers moves to the dried ones, thereby moisturizing them. If this process is interrupted, then the material may be destroyed, since the displacement of thinner layers begins.

Covering the ends of thick lumber to prevent rapid release of moisture and the formation of cracks during drying...

To prevent displacement, lumber is treated with a special mixture, which is made from chalk, as well as drying oil. Often it is necessary to process the end parts of the blanks.

Drying excludes the use of humidification systems, and thermometers should not be installed in the chambers. You can control the process using special sensors, which are controlled from the outside, often in a separate vestibule.

Very often, vacuum plants are used for drying expensive species such as oak, merbau, padauk, wenge, zebrano. It is very convenient, since the wood practically does not collapse during drying.

My help

I have the opportunity to provide advice on drying technology, the selection of new and used equipment. You can contact me through SUPPORT.

My recently published A new book which gives recommendations on the operation of drying complexes in production. The information that is given in the book is simply unique, you will definitely not find it anywhere else. More information about the book can be found in the "MY BOOKS" section.

Good luck and see you soon!

Video of vacuum dryer

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What is wood heat treatment - features of carrying out

Sections of the article:

Before the direct use of wood in construction, it must first be processed without fail. There are several methods for this. Otherwise, this material may swell under the influence of moisture, which will serve as an excellent environment for the growth of fungi and various other bacteria.

Literally some time later, wood was treated only with chemical compounds. But because of the harmfulness of these funds, their use for such purposes has become prohibited.

What is wood heat treatment?

Thanks to thermal technologies, it is possible to process wood and refuse chemical compositions. After such processing, the properties of wooden elements improve, and, accordingly, their scope expands.

You should know that at the moment the most effective way wood heat treatment is a vapor stabilization technology. Such processing is carried out within 12 hours.

During this treatment, the wood is exposed to steam within a temperature range of 220 degrees. Thus, the structure of the wood changes. In this case, no chemical additives are used.

What are the characteristics of thermal wood?

Wooden elements under the influence of such steam treatment improve the following qualities:

Moisture resistance. As a result, the ability to absorb water is reduced by about five times;

stable value. When changes in humidity and temperature are observed, this indicator improves tenfold or more when compared with untreated wood;

Excellent resistance to biological damage. Due to the fact that wood is processed under the influence of high temperatures, polysaccharides decompose inside the material.

After all, they are an excellent breeding ground for bacteria and microorganisms. As a result, the operational period of wood increases by almost 25 times.

Scope of thermowood

Heat-treated wood is used in the manufacture of doors. Such structures are not deformed during use. Although their price is almost the same as that of chipboard products. Still, their design and quality indicators are top notch.

Also, steam-treated wood is used in the production of eurowindows. Windows made of this material easily tolerate direct contact with moisture.

Parquet made from thermowood is much easier to install. Ugly gaps will not remain between the elements, and the floor itself will last the maximum possible amount of time.

Do-it-yourself wood aging: types and methods of processing

Many design styles (French, Tuscan, vintage, shabby chic and others) are characterized by the presence of antique woodwork among their elements. Paint wear, the texture of old wood give a special charm to the interiors. In their work, designers actively use antique furniture, Wall panels, floors, stairs, beams, columns and other small decor. However, antiques are not cheap, which greatly inflates the cost of projects, and wooden elements from the past are not strong and durable. To solve these problems, there artificial aging wood, and you can even do it yourself.

Aging methods

There are several ways to age a wooden surface. The choice of the desired aging method is influenced by the type of wood, the features of the design style, the presence necessary tools and materials, professional skills and experience. The following types of artificial aging of natural wood are most common:

chemical way;
heat treatment;
brushing;
wood aging by dry brushing.

chemical method

In order to process wooden products by this method, it is necessary to have special chemical reagents, professional tools, certain qualifications and knowledge. Caustic substances (acids, alkalis or copper sulphate) are applied to the surface of the parts, after which the wood changes color, and the soft fibers are destroyed. The process itself is hazardous to health and requires increased security measures. It is almost impossible to implement such artificial aging with your own hands and at home.

Heat treatment method

The essence of this technological process consists in burning out less dense layers of wood by means of an open fire. It consists of several stages:

annealing soft fibers to obtain the desired wood texture;
surface cleaning with abrasive materials;
applying varnish.

To implement this method with your own hands, you can use a very affordable tool - an ordinary blowtorch.

brushing

The name of this technique comes from the English word "brush", which means a brush. Brushing is based on the structural features of wood, consisting of hard and soft fibers, and the process itself consists in combing soft fibers out of wood with a metal brush and giving the surface the texture of old wood. Do-it-yourself brushing can be divided into a number of successive stages:

mechanical processing of wood along the fibers;
cleaning from chips and pile;
glossing;
staining or patination;
varnish coating.

Despite the fact that the tool for brushing seems extremely simple, the process itself is quite laborious. When using this method of applying a touch of antiquity to wooden products, it should be remembered that hardwoods, as well as pine, yew and larch, cannot be brushed.

Artificial aging of wood by dry brushing

This process is also easy to do with your own hands, it is applicable to cabinets, tables, shelves, chairs and other types home furniture. It consists of several stages, and not all of them are required.

Creating the effect of many years of operation.

At this stage, scratches, potholes, chips and dents are applied to the surface of the furniture. This will require carpentry tool and a little imagination. Since the damage caused is irreversible, this stage of tree aging can be skipped.

Coloring.

For this, two variants of paint of similar shades are used. First, one is applied, and after drying - the second.

Surface treatment with abrasive materials or sanding.

Using fine sandpaper or sand, the top layer of paint is erased. This is done unevenly, in some places only up to the first layer, and in some places up to wood. It is important to achieve the effect of natural wear, so special attention should be paid to the edges and protruding parts. After sanding with a vacuum cleaner, chips and wood dust are removed.

Applying paint with a dry brush.

At this stage, it is important to choose the right tool for applying paint. A stiff, flat brush works best. The choice of paint should also be approached responsibly. It should be contrasting with previously used shades. For a light base the best option there will be dark shades of brown or burgundy paint. The technology of applying paint to the surface in this method of wood aging is the most complex. The paint is applied with your own hands with an almost dry brush, the strokes should look like a trace of numerous bristles. Crossing strokes is not allowed.

Rubbing the top layer.

For this, a cloth napkin is used, which smears the newly applied strokes.

Coating the surface with varnish.

It is best to use a clear varnish, which should be applied in one or two coats.

There are several more ways to force the aging of wood with your own hands, but they are not so effective and do not always achieve the desired goal.

Heat-treated wood can easily replace woods used for outdoor construction.

Indispensable requirements for materials for the manufacture of structures exposed to atmospheric influences: they must be resistant to decay, damage by insects and the influence of destructive factors (sun, rain, etc.), durable and stable.

And it would be nice to add beauty and environmental friendliness to these conditions. Are you saying this doesn't happen?

We invite you to get acquainted with thermally modified wood. This ideal material may be more affordable than you think.

Thermowood technology: more than just drying

Heat treatment of wood is not something new; it has been used since prehistoric times. Primitive hunters burned the end of a wooden spear with a fire to make it harder. But it wasn't until 1990 that the Scandinavian timber industry decided to take a closer look at the process in the laboratory. As a result of these studies, a technology has emerged that has been used in European countries for two decades and has begun to conquer North America, where production of thermowood is increasing annually.

The process of thermal modification begins immediately after drying the boards in a chamber where the material is heated to a temperature of 260°C. The sugary substances contained in the wood sinter, becoming an unsuitable environment for insects and microorganisms that destroy the wood. The cell walls that form wood fibers, which usually easily absorb moisture and dry out, cease to swell after heat treatment.

Wood deprived of moisture becomes not only less susceptible to biological factors, but also more stable, practically not shrinking or warping. And just like the spears of ancient hunters, it acquires increased hardness as a result of heating. The end product of this process is a lightweight, strong, durable and stable material without any chemical additives.

The wood turns brown throughout its thickness and has a pleasant sweet smell. From the boards that have undergone processing, tongue-and-groove boards for terrace flooring and wall cladding (lining), as well as calibrated lumber, which practically do not warp, are made.

Thermal wood technology: closer to nature

The thermal modification method is applicable to any wood, but softwoods are more commonly used by manufacturers due to lower price and availability. Since the process proceeds without chemical additives, the production does not pollute environment, and during operation, the wood does not emit any toxic substances.

One manufacturer, Radiance Wood Products, has gone one step further to improve sustainability by completely impregnating the material with synthetic resins without the use of organic solvents (One TIME Finish technology), which allows the finish to be renewed no more than once every seven years.

Thermowood is lightweight and a truck can carry twice as many planks as preservative wood, saving fuel and reducing emissions (although the latter two benefits are offset by the need to burn more fuel to run the processing chambers).

Thermowood: the other side of the coin

There is nothing perfect in our world, and this material can be found flaws. After heat treatment, the wood becomes not only harder, but also more brittle, so manufacturers recommend always drilling pilot holes for screws and nails, especially near the ends of the board.

The surface of thermowood is more sensitive to UV rays and tends to get a silvery gray tint faster than regular planks, so the finish needs to be refinished regularly every year or two.

One more warning: since this technology is relatively new, the material has not yet been sufficiently tested for resistance to ground contact. Therefore, the pillars and details of the frame of terraces, arbors and other garden buildings are best made from antiseptic wood. This is why most manufacturers sell mainly deck boards, steps, handrails and balusters, and not standard cut lumber.

Price and availability of thermowood

Now thermowood can only be found in specialized trade, and it is rare in retail. Its cost occupies an intermediate position between traditional thuja floorboards and wood-plastic composites. Guaranteed outdoor service life of at least 20-30 years.

More affordability should be expected in the coming years due to increased production volumes and consequently lower prices as more companies start to ramp up production.

Technology of thermal modification of wood

Material	Advantages	Flaws	Relative cost, %
Thermowood	Hardness, lightness, stability, resistance to decay and insects, non-toxic	Due to the tendency to crack, it requires care when installing fasteners. Turns gray quickly without finishing. Limited availability
Antiseptic Pine	Durability, availability, low price, resistance to decay and insects. Retains properties even when in contact with the ground	Due to saturation with aqueous solutions of preservatives, high weight, moisture and a tendency to warp. Ordinary fasteners corrode quickly. Processing requires security measures
	Straight grained wood, resistant to rot. Widely available in western North America	Releases tannins that make finishing difficult. Installation of fasteners requires care due to the tendency to crack
white oak	Dense and durable wood, resistant to decay. The core part almost does not absorb moisture and perceives the finish well	The wood is heavy. It is not sold as ready-made floorboards for terraces and gazebos, so it is better to use it for benches, gates and swings.
ipi (ip)	Very dense, strong and stable wood. It can serve outdoors for more than 40 years without finishing. Resistant to warping, cracking, rot and dents	Heavy, expensive and sometimes scarce. Due to its hardness, tools become dull quickly.
Wood plastic composite.	Affordable, non-rotting, defect-free artificial material with stable properties. Does not split	It lacks rigidity, so it is not used in load-bearing structures. Weighs more than many types of wood. Changes dimensions under the influence of temperature and moisture. Can get very hot in the sun

The process of thermal modification of wood

The wood that has undergone primary drying with a moisture content of 14-19% is loaded into a computer-controlled chamber.

Initial heating: the temperature in the chamber rises to 100°C, the boiling point of water.

Stress Relief and Drying: Heating is continued at the same time as steam is applied to slowly reduce the moisture content of the wood to 7-8%.

Thermal modification: when the temperature in the chamber exceeds 240°C, sugary and tannins begin to sinter, becoming inedible for microbes and insects. The wood darkens and becomes harder.

Steaming: Steam is again supplied to the chamber to stabilize the wood and prevent complete loss of moisture at high temperatures.

Cooling down: the computer slowly lowers the temperature in the chamber so that no internal stresses are created in the cooling wood. On average, the whole process takes from 24 to 48 hours, from loading the chamber to receiving the finished product.

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In order for heat-treated planken to take a leading position as a cladding material, people have spent more than one century. Heat treatment of wood was used by the Vikings. In the 30s of the last century in Finland, where the construction of houses made of wood is most developed, a material was obtained that was not afraid of temperature extremes and high humidity. The wood was dried, then heated at high temperatures with steam.

Subsequent hot drying gave amazing results. The tree became unusually strong. Moisture and frost did not affect its structure. The lightness of the resulting structures quickly found fans not only among the Finns, but also in Western Europe. The subsequent international crisis forced us to forget about the wonderful material. Thermal wood found its second life only at the end of the 20th century. Since that time, she has been gaining new positions in wooden housing construction.
This material has the following properties that allow it to gradually replace ordinary wood:

Long service life. 10-15 times more than ordinary wood;
Weak moisture absorption. 50% lower than natural wood;
Preservation of forms and structure regardless of environmental changes;
The possibility of obtaining any color. From simple breeds, the appearance of a noble tree is obtained.

Heat treatment of wood: description of the process

Any kind of coniferous or deciduous wood is suitable for thermowood production. The wood is dried in the usual way in thermal ovens at temperatures up to 150 degrees. Then comes the steam treatment. After, drying continues with a temperature of more than 200 degrees. This sequence frees the material from resins and moisture. The porous structure becomes dense. Heat-treated wood becomes relatively brittle. However, modern methods and high-speed machines easily cope with products of any shape and size. Like ordinary wood, thermowood is an environmentally friendly material.

Planken - at first glance, ordinary boards. The main difference is the beveled edges. Laths laid in a row are devoid of the disadvantages inherent in lining and other types of sheathing. When laying between the boards, there is space. It allows you to create an air gap necessary for the "breathing" of the lined surface. The gap in the plankin does not allow the coatings to swell and warp, which is inherent in lining with tight connecting joints. Walls covered with planken look neat.

It's important to know

Planken after heat treatment and impregnation sometimes has bad smell. During its use in interior decoration, it requires additional processing. This disadvantage can be ignored in the facade cladding.

Facade cladding with thermal board

You can change the appearance of your home with the help of a thermowood with your own hands. The light weight of planken makes it possible to quickly and reliably fasten and join individual parts of the cladding.

The planken is produced in three versions: beveled, straight or straight with a groove. Board width: 70–90 mm, thickness about 20 mm. The bevel angle can be from 40mm to 70mm. The tree doesn't matter. With a high-quality approach to manufacturing technology, the thermoboard will retain its best qualities.

The crate is pre-prepared. Its dimensions depend on the width of the insulation material. The beam should protrude beyond the insulation. This is done to ventilate the main wall of the building. Tightly laid insulation is fastened with dowels-fungi.

Cladding types

There are two types of facade cladding with planken.

The first one is closed. Thermal boards are fastened together with metal strips 150x15 mm on the basis that the width of the boards is less than 100 mm.

The planks are laid out in rows on a flat surface, respecting the height of the wall to be faced in size. The frame stencil is transferred to the resulting area. Special attention is given to the imprint of the beam in order to visualize its width.

Metal strips are superimposed on the boards perpendicularly so that they have a protrusion on each side of a separate planken by about 10 mm. Each is attached to the board with two screws. The protruding parts of the fasteners have a dual purpose. The lower ledge is inserted between the beam and the previous plank, the upper eyelet is screwed to the beam. Thus, gradually all the planken laid out on the ground will be transferred to the facade.

The second option is cheaper and faster. Thermowood planken is fastened with self-tapping screws directly to the joists. This method is more durable.
Fastening should be done with stainless steel screws. This will eliminate the possibility of rust in the future.
The corners of the structure are lined with the same material as the main part of the facade. In this case, two boards are fastened at a right angle.

Conclusion

The presence in the economy of wood of any kind, a thermal oven and a good woodworking machine, plus your own skill, will make it possible to do facing work using a thermowood with your own hands. We also recommend that you watch the video below, it describes alternative way planken fastenings.

Due to the fact that the modern construction market is flooded with synthetic materials that are not distinguished by their environmental friendliness, the demand for natural materials that can be used without fear for one's health has increased. First of all, it is wood, which is very far from ideal due to its inability to withstand natural factors - we all know how it behaves in a wet and dry environment, how insects and microorganisms such as mold love it. In general, in outdoor conditions, without proper protection, the tree does not serve for a long time. It's a pity. Oddly enough, but here they came to the rescue modern technologies- relatively recently, such a method of wood processing as thermal modification has appeared. The final product of this technology is thermal wood, which we will discuss in this article. Together with the site, we will study the site in detail construction material of this type.

Do-it-yourself thermowood photo

Thermowood: what is it and how is it produced

The process of making thermowood is quite simple - in fact, it is subjected to prolonged exposure to temperature, as a result of which it becomes empty. In the sense that cellulose partially burns out in it, all available resins come out and the structure of the fibers themselves changes - the tree, as it were, caramelizes, due to which it acquires a very high performance, because of them it is valued. Heat treatment of wood can be done in four different ways.

What is the result of all these types of processing? What properties are given to it in this way? But with this moment we will deal further.

Facade thermowood: characteristics

The most important feature inherent in thermal wood is its dimensional stability, which neither moisture nor temperature can affect - it practically does not absorb moisture. What does it mean? Neither more nor less, but the fact that over time the same, finished with this material, will not lose its original appearance. But this is not all the advantages of thermal wood - along the way, in the process of processing, it acquires other useful qualities. By the way, and useless too, but more on that later.

And all this against the background of exceptional environmental cleanliness, which is so valued by modern people - this material, in the process of exposure, not only does not start with chemicals, but all substances that can be harmful to human health are also removed from it. As for the shortcomings, then, according to the manufacturers, thermowood has only one - fragility. Not the same as glass, but nevertheless, when compared with standard wood, it is high. Processing, in particular sawing of this material, must be carried out at high speeds with low feed and a tool with a fine tooth - otherwise the thermal wood bursts.

Thermowood and its processing class

The production of thermowood takes place under the influence of superheated steam at a temperature of 150 to 240 degrees Celsius - the expansion is large, but it is he who determines the division of this material into classes. There are three in total.

Naturally, depending on the processing class, the cost of the material also changes - the higher it is, the more expensive the material is. So you should think three times what qualities you need.

Thermowood board: scope

By and large, the scope of thermal wood is not limited - it can be used wherever a modern person uses ordinary wood. There is, however, one nuance that must be considered before deciding on its application - this is the cost. The price of thermowood is very high, and in most cases, the cost of purchasing it may not be appropriate. For example, it is possible to use it indoors, but it is expensive - with the same success for decor, an ordinary tree is also suitable. This material has its own area of application, in which the cost of it is justified.

In general, here you should think carefully about the advisability of using thermal wood - you may come to the conclusion that it will be much cheaper to create a conventional imitation of this material, which is not so difficult to do. By the way, this is a reason to think about the question, do you buy thermowood in a store? There are a lot of ways to give the tree the look of this material. You understand, this is only a look, but not quality.

And in conclusion of the topic, I will say a few words about the question, can thermowood be made by hand? In small quantities and fragments of a small size, it is, in principle, possible to make it - for this you need an electric oven with the ability to adjust the temperature. In addition to wood, it will be necessary to install a container with water in it - without saturation with steam, the tree can catch fire.

There is nothing more to add about this material. It remains only to sum up and draw conclusions for yourself. The material, of course, is expensive, but spending a lot of money on it, you can be sure that products made from it will delight your eye for a long time. You can say more - they will be inherited by your children in an almost unchanged state.