5 Things you didn’t know about Accoya®
Mandy Simpson 26th Jun 2018 3 Min Read
We chose to make all our Andersen charge point wood fronts out of Accoya®. But what actually is it? Here’s a quick lowdown on Accoya® wood.
IT’S 100% NATURAL REAL WOOD.
Accoya® is actually plain radiata pine. It comes from sustainable, well-managed forests, therefore, using it for our charge points protects the world’s precious hardwood resources.
So it’s just normal wood then? Well not really, it starts off in its raw state as basic pine, but then it undergoes a change – it becomes a modified timber.
IS IT A MODIFIED TIMBER?
Yes, the pine undergoes a special patented acetylation process which in layman’s terms this means that it is effectively pickled. During this process, the water molecules that are present inside the wood become replaced with acetic acid. The result is a high performance modified wood that matches or exceeds the durability, stability, and looks of the very best tropical hardwoods. It so robust it even has good insect resistance. And to top it off, it is still classified as non-toxic.
IT’S SO STRONG, ARCHITECTS USE IT.
Accoya’s high strength and stable properties mean that architects are using it to make exposed bridge structures, structural beams, decking, window frames, and doors. Accoya® has also been tested to the very best environmental standards.
Wooden cladding for North London Home, UK
External structure, Barangaroo House, Sydney
IT IS 100% BIODEGRADABLE.
If you are still not impressed, this high-performance wood is also 100% biodegradable therefore Accoya® is fully reusable and recyclable.
2018 Track Cycling Netherlands World Championships raced on Accoya. Brand new now, but it won’t be thrown away after it has finished it’s racing days.
FINALLY, THE WOOD IS LOW MAINTENANCE.
Wood fronts don’t require anything more than an occasional wipe down with a damp cloth. No need for extra painting, or coating. Every wooden front leaves our factory with two coats of a translucent coating. This further protects the wood and highlights the grain. The pattern is fairly even and there are not many knots in it. I think it looks very beautiful, in addition, I think that in some instances it could actually pass as oak. In conclusion, Accoya® has some exceedingly good credentials for making probably the best electric vehicle charge points in the world. Not that I’m biased…..
Mandy Simpson
A graduate of Central St Martins, with 20 years’ experience of working in fashion design, Mandy brings her creative eye to Andersen. She loves everything to do with design, from making videos and pixel pushing to dreaming up catchy H1 header hooks. Born and bred in London, Mandy gets worried if she can’t see a red bus. She juggles her two kids and husband David with Andersen, and dreams of building her own mid-century modern home.
