Why Your Exterior Wood Siding Should Be Thermally Modified
The growing amount of build material options make designing a home exterior a fun challenge. The trending impressions of concrete, metal, and synthetic alternative home exteriors are appealing for their low maintenance and versatility. However, these materials are becoming expensive, unreliable, and/or are known to be not the most conscientious choice for human and environmental health.
Wood's natural depth and unique intricacies make it the timeless design building material we all know and love. Natural wood cladding has been an appreciated, easy-install building material that displays wood's inherent beauty in building exteriors. Modern wood cladding and siding designers also practice sustainable forest management in their product's manufacturing processes, making them a more innovative fabricated material option. However, despite the continued widespread use of wood cladding, it remains to be used more broadly beyond its traditional aesthetic appeals while being misunderstood as an unreasonable, short-lived design material.
"What Exactly is Thermally Modified Wood?"
Some of the leading concerns people have about using wood cladding or siding include
• susceptibility to mildew, pests (such as termites), and decay
• weather/environmental stability and durability
• high maintenance
However, thermal modification significantly improves the overall structure of wood–nearly eliminating these worries or drawbacks, amongst others. The process combines dry kiln heat with water vapor suffusion in an oxygen-free environment, changing the wood's cellular structure to a more durable, dimensionally stable state.
Unlike many other popular exterior siding materials such as concrete, metal, or synthetic options like vinyl, the manufacturing process of thermally modified wood is completely toxic-free, introducing nothing but 100% pure water. The chemical-free production and enhanced durability of thermally modified wood make it an excellent material for outdoor applications such as cladding, decking, and garden structures.
Thermally modified wood also reduces the need for material maintenance and standard exterior wood upkeep, such as sanding and retexturing, because of its redefined physical structure. The stronger bond is noticeably smoother and color-enriched, highlighting its unique grain patterns.
"How Do I Know What Thermally Modified Wood Siding Is Best?"
Although thermally modified wood products are superior to all that isn't for building and design projects, not all engineered wood cladding and siding materials are created equal. Thermal modification has many benefits, but some material details that traditional or standard chemical treatments would otherwise encompass need to be addressed. Wood processing similarities and differences you need to be aware of:
Thermal Modification
100% toxin-free
Increases dimensional stability
Decreases the susceptibility to warping, swelling, or shrinking regardless of variations in temperature and humidity.
Superior reduction in moisture absorbency (requiring no further chemical protection from rot)
Preserves and enhances the wood's natural beauty
Improves biological resistance to pests
Increases lifespan
Doesn't improve fire score
Traditional/Standard Chemical Treatments
Prevents rot and decay
Improves fire resistance
Most contain hazardous chemicals, often including carcinogens, toxins, or other volatile organic compounds; inconsistent/unreliable coverage formulas
Thermally modified wood requires additional treatment to improve fire resistance; however, many manufacturers use a hazardous chemical treatment to fill this coverage gap, eliminating thermal modification's initial value as an environmentally safe product enhancement.
Unlike other wood siding manufacturers, Finland's Siparila has been making non-toxic, thermally modified wood cladding and siding that surpass industry standards since 2003. One of Siparila's most renowned products is their TOPCOAT® panels which are primed & painted, end-matched, and have the highest fire protection rating.
Natural wood cladding that goes through thermal modification followed by non-toxic chemical treatment is hard to come by in the building materials industry. This is among many reasons that make us proud to say that Siparila is our exclusive wood cladding and siding provider. Browse Siparila's exterior wood siding on our products page or learn more about Siparila on their website.
