Key Highlights
- Thermo wood decking is created through a thermal modification process that enhances its durability.
- The process significantly improves dimensional stability by reducing the wood’s moisture content.
- This decking material offers exceptional resistance to rot, decay, and insects.
- It is an eco-friendly choice, made without any harsh chemicals.
- Eco Hearth’s thermowood is less brittle and stronger than conventionally modified woods.
- Thermowood provides a beautiful, natural wood aesthetic for any outdoor space.
Introduction
Are you thinking about a decking material that looks good and works well? Thermowood decking is a smart pick for your outdoor area. This modified wood gives you both natural beauty and strength. When you choose thermowood decking from Eco Hearth, you get a deck that lasts long and is built to handle most things. It’s a friendly choice for the environment, so you can feel good about using it. Their decking stands out because it brings together the things that matter: good looks, great performance, and real sustainability.
Understanding Thermowood Decking: Material, Process, and Key Features
Thermally Modified Wood (Thermowood) decking is crafted through a heat treatment process that enhances durability and resistance to moisture and insects. This environmentally-friendly option retains its natural appearance while offering increased stability. It’s ideal for outdoor use, making it a popular choice among homeowners seeking sustainable yet stylish decking solutions.
Thermally modified wood is made by using heat treatment that changes the properties of timber at its cellular level. The thermal modification process uses much higher heat in a controlled setting. The heat treatment permanently changes how the wood is structured.
This special process helps the wood work better, so it becomes a great choice for decking material. Let’s look at how the thermal modification process works, and why this type of wood is better than traditional types of decking.
How Thermowood Deck Boards Are Made: The Thermal Modification Process
The process to make thermal wood at Eco Hearth starts with picking top-quality timber, like aspen, ash, аlder, birch or poplar. The wood goes into a vacuum kiln. Here, we use heat and pressure in a careful way.
Many other ways of heat treatment can make wood hard and easy to break. We use a thermal modification process with lower heat. This helps stop the wood from cracking or splitting. It also means there is less waste, and you get a better product.
After the process, you get a nice decking material that keeps its shape much better over time. Since our heat treatment process is closely watched for different wood species, the final decking is much stronger and tougher than before.
What Sets Thermowood Decking Boards Apart From Traditional Wood
Thermo wood decking has many good points when you look at it next to untreated or regular woods. The thermal modification process changes the inside of the wood. This makes it a strong choice for any kind of outdoor decking project. You will notice the main difference is its great stability.
When you compare thermowood to normal lumber, it does not shrink or swell much when humidity rises or falls. This excellent dimensional stability means the wood keeps its geometry and moves far less, helping your deck last longer. Thermowood performs especially well in humid and challenging climates, where ordinary wood often fails. The thermal modification process also removes sugars from the wood, which keeps insects away and helps prevent rot. Even after decades of use, thermowood retains its structure and appearance, often looking as solid and refined as it did on the first day.
Here’s what makes it different:
- Enhanced Durability: It will stand up well to rot and keep insects away.
- Superior Stability: It will have much less expansion and contraction than regular wood.
- Low Moisture Content: After treatment, the wood will soak up less moisture.
Benefits of Thermowood Decking for Your Outdoor Space
Picking the right decking material is important for your outdoor spaces. Thermowood decking gives you the look and feel of real timber. It also lasts a long time and is easy to care for. You can use it in backyards, patios, or for commercial terraces.
With thermo wood decking, your deck will look good and handle bad weather well. Here are some of the main reasons why thermowood decking is a great choice for your home and outdoor spaces.
Durability and Weather Resistance of Thermowood Decks
One great thing about thermowood is how strong and long-lasting it is. The thermal modification makes this wood very good at fighting off moisture, and that helps stop rot and decay, which often damages outdoor decking. In most outdoor settings, you can have this deck for over 30 years.
The wood also has less expansion and contraction because of the thermal modification. This keeps your decking nice and steady as the weather changes. Your deck boards are less likely to warp, cup, or split, even when the humidity goes up or down a lot during the year.
This weather resistance helps your deck stay good-looking and solid for a long time. At Eco Hearth, our advanced modification process gives thermowood decking a Class 1 Durability rating. You get maximum protection against the sun, rain, and other outdoor elements.
Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Aspects of Thermowood Decking
If you care about being good to the environment, thermowood is a great choice. The way thermowood is made is simple. It uses only heat and water vapor, with no harsh chemicals at all. That means thermowood products are safe for you, your family, and our world.
When we use thermo wood, we change good local timber into a strong material. This lowers the environmental impact, since we do not have to bring in extra lumber from other places or use treatments that could be bad for the earth. You can relax knowing your deck is a friendly choice for all.
Why is it such an excellent choice?
- Chemical-Free: The thermowood process is done with just heat.
- Reduced Waste: Eco Hearth’s way of making thermowood cuts down on cracking and splitting.
- Responsibly Sourced: Our wood comes from places that care about how they harvest it.
- Long Lifespan: Its great durability means you will not have to swap out your deck as often, which saves resources.
Choosing and Installing Thermowood Deck Boards
Are you ready to start your next project? Eco Hearth thermowood products can be used in many ways. They work well for decks at home and walkways in businesses. Builders and architects like their look and how steady they are.
Before you begin, you should know what finish you want to use. It’s also good to learn the best way to put in your thermowood deck. This will help your deck look good and last for years.
Available Colors, Finish Options, and Design Versatility
Eco Hearth thermo wood decking is prized for its stunning appearance. The heat treatment deepens the natural wood colour, creating rich, warm brown hues. The straight grain texture and occasional small knots add unique character to every board.
You have several options for the finish. You can apply a high-quality, oil-based stain with a UV inhibitor to maintain the “like-new” wood colour. Alternatively, you can let the decking weather naturally to a beautiful, low-maintenance silver-gray patina over time.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Colour | Rich, warm dark brown hues deepened by the thermal process. |
| Grain | Primarily straight-grained texture with occasional mineral streaking. |
| Finish | Can be finished with oil-based stains or left to weather to a silver-gray. |
Installation Tips and Best Practices for Thermowood Decking
Proper installation plays a key role in the long-term performance and appearance of a Thermowood deck. For standard installations, decking should be supported by joists spaced approximately 16 inches apart (center to center). When boards are installed diagonally, closer joist spacing of around 12 inches is recommended to ensure optimal support and stability.
Eco Hearth Thermowood decking is designed to be installed using a hidden fastening system, creating a clean, screw-free surface with perfectly aligned boards. This system improves both the visual quality and long-term durability of the deck, while allowing the wood to naturally expand and contract.
Although Thermowood is more stable and less prone to splitting than many other modified woods, pre-drilling near board ends is still recommended for best results, especially during detailed cuts or edge installations.
Best Practices for Installation:
- Use a professional hidden fastening system for thermowood decking
- Maintain proper joist spacing: 16 inches for straight layouts, 12 inches for diagonal patterns
- Pre-drill near board ends when needed to avoid splitting
- Order additional material to account for cuts, trims, and layout adjustments
Following these guidelines ensures a refined appearance, secure installation, and long-lasting performance of your deck thermowood.
Conclusion
So, what is thermowood decking? It is a great choice if you want to improve your outdoor spaces. The thermal modification process makes the wood strong and helps it last longer outside. It also keeps it safe from bad weather. Since this process is kind to the environment, thermo timber is a good option if you want something eco-friendly. You will have many ways to change up the look, color, and finish too, so you can make it match what you like. When you pick thermowood, you get quality that lasts and is better for the earth. If you want to know more or find out which thermo wood decking works best for you, get in touch for a free meeting with our team at Eco Hearth. We will help you find the right solution that fits your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does thermowood decking compare to composite decking?
Thermowood decking is real wood that goes through thermal modification to make it have high resistance to rot and moisture. This kind of decking gives you the natural look and feel of wood and is better for the environment. Composite decking is made by people, and while it is durable, it does not give you that same natural wood style or offer the same level of sustainability as thermowood.
What maintenance does thermowood decking require over time?
Thermo wood products do not need much care. It is good to clean them once a year with a wood cleaner that breaks down naturally. To help keep the brown color of the thermowood, you can use an oil-based UV protectant, but this is your choice. If you do not use it, the natural wood will change color with time and turn into a silver-gray shade. This way, the thermowood will always look good, no matter which look you choose.
Can thermowood deck boards be used for both residential and commercial projects?
Yes, thermo wood products are a good choice because they last a long time and are very strong. You can use them for many things. They work well for a terrace, patio, or home deck. Thermo wood is also tough enough for places that get a lot of use, like busy commercial spots.
