We have some super news this week. Our heat treatment plant finally arrives in the UK for installation at our sawmill in Devon!
Here’s a little more detail about the machine from our supplier WDE Maspell.
We’re so excited to share that our we’re going to be expanding our ranges to include thermally modified timber to our Devon sawmill portfolio. Thermally modified timber is perfect when used as a cladding material, for decking, or as a seamless flooring option from indoor to outdoor. It will also be used to produce outdoor furniture for a longer lasting option than any treated softwoods. When wet occasionally, the timber has a lifespan of up to 60 years.
We’re going to be using ash as our primary species for the plant, an otherwise under-utilised species when it comes to exteriors. Once heated to over 200 degrees celsius in a vacuum, the cells of the wood denature, and change the otherwise hydrophilic material, into a hydrophobic one. In simple words, it changes the timber for absorbing moisture, to repelling it.
Our thermally modified timber is ideal for the UK climate of wet and windy weather conditions especially here in the south west of England. All of the timber we use if certified as Grown in Britain and wherever possible, we purchase our trees from Devon and Cornwall. Keeping our sawmill as locally sourced as possible reduces the carbon footprint of all the wood we produce here.
We’re currently in the process of installing the thermally modified timber plant and have projects in the pipeline which we will be using as case studies to share.
As a family run sawmill in Devon, we’re always approachable and ready to hear more about your projects as well as keeping you updated on ours. Please do send us an email if you think you have any project where our heat treated timber might be able to fit, and we will offer our best advice.
