Nov 2 2010
Accoya® wood, the world’s leading sustainable, high-performance wood has received the 2010 Green Products Award from Door & Window Manufacturer Magazine (DWM).
Selections were based on nominations from industry manufacturers and DWM editors. Accoya wood was selected as the winner for the Wood Products Category.
Accoya wood is made from FSC®, PEFC® and other regionally certified woods and undergoes a non-toxic proprietary process to increase its dimensional stability and durability to beyond that of even the best tropical hardwoods. High-performance Accoya wood is warranted for 50 years in exterior above-ground use and is suitable for applications where exposure to the elements is a concern such as doors and windows, siding, decking and exterior furniture.
Manufactured by Accsys Technologies, Accoya wood involves acetylation, which alters the wood’s reaction with water by permanently replacing free hydroxyls within the wood with stable acetyl groups that will not bond with water. Acetyl groups are naturally present in all wood species, which means that nothing toxic is added into the wood. The altered cell structure of the wood makes it unrecognizable to insects as food, as well as increasing its strength and stability.
The DWM Green Products were evaluated in a variety of categories based on the company’s commitment to overall environmental sustainability, use of third-party verifications, the accuracy of the company’s promotional materials and other factors.
“Good, holistic commitment to sustainability. The carbon calculator (on their website) to show the environmental impacts due to transportation is educational. Innovative, natural processes of increasing strength and durability of wood,” said Kerry Haglund, senior research fellow at Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR) at the University of Minnesota, and one of the judges.
Unlike other modified woods, Accoya wood is modified through the core, allowing window manufacturers to machine the wood without compromising the integrity or efficiency of the wood. Accoya wood has been compared to hardwoods for its machinability, and requires no special tools for crosscutting, ripping, planning, routing or drilling.
“Accoya offers exceptional dimensional stability and durability, allowing for tighter tolerances while resisting swelling,” said Lisa Ayala, sales manager, North America. “The low thermal conductivity of Accoya wood makes it suitable for high-efficiency windows and doors,” Ayala added.
Accoya is available throughout North America through a network of independent distributors.