Sustainability Meets Construction: Thermowood®
You may have noticed some of the construction going on around our Welcome Center. We're taking the plunge to completely redo the decking that connects our three main campus buildings. Continuing our ongoing dedication to our Framework for the Future and sustainable practices, we've decided to use Arbor Wood Company’s thermally modified wood for our new planks. You may be asking yourself, “What does that even mean?” Well, we’re excited to share the importance with you!
Thermowood® is thermally-modified wood that undergoes an eco-friendly, high-heat treatment that enhances the wood’s durability and lifespan. We’re revitalizing our boardwalk at the Welcome Center with thermally-modified pine from Arbor Wood Co. The planks begin as trees grown domestically in the States and are then harvested sustainably. The lumber is then transported to a facility where the magic happens. Over the course of a three-stage process, the lumber undergoes a dramatic transformation.
The first phase of this process sees the wood in the kiln baking at gradually rising temperatures to ensure all moisture is baked out. Steam is occasionally introduced to ensure the lumber remains crack-free throughout the arduous process. By the end of this process, the moisture content of the wood has been reduced from 15%-20% to almost zero!
In phase two of the process, the wood is placed in a kiln, and the oxygen is completely removed from the chamber, which spurs hydrolysis due to the lack of oxygen and intense heat. This is where thermal modification comes in: hydrolysis involves breaking the chemical bonds between water molecules and the wood fibers. This breaks down the wood’s natural fibers and transforms them into something that mold, fungus, and insects no longer wish to eat and make homes in.
For phase three of the wood’s heat-intensive makeover, steam is introduced to the kiln to begin lowering the temperature. The steam also helps resaturate the wood and ensure it's stable enough to build with.
This process is entirely chemical-free and offers the same benefits as pressure-treated wood, without the use of all those nasty chemicals. The wood is now immune to mold and insects looking to eat it and make a home in it, as the natural acids and sugars they would eat have been eliminated. In addition, the wood is now hydrophobic, ensuring that no water can seep in and rot it from the inside out.
Why is this process so important to sustainability? Well, the use of wood in construction is historically unsustainable and environmentally damaging, driven by unethical logging to obtain the building materials and by the dangerous chemicals used to treat the wood. This new process of sustainably harvesting wood, thermally treating it, and then using it in construction is saving many more trees than traditional lumber. Because of the treatment, the wood is much more resistant. It can last much longer than a normal untreated plank, saving tons (both financially and environmentally) on future repairs and replacements.
With our newly planked decking, we hope to continue our commitment to sustainability and explore even more sustainable alternatives as we move toward our shared vision for the future.