Following independent testing, Accoya - the world-leading modified wood manufactured by Accsys Technologies - has been proven to avoid the high thermal gain which is a problem with some deck and terrace materials, making it barefoot friendly and the ideal material for outdoor decking.
Thermography tests, which were carried out in Japan by the Hiroshima Prefectural Technology Research Institute, assessed the differences and compared the thermal - gain of uncoated Accoya decking to thermo wood and wood plastic composites.
The results showed Accoya to have a low thermal gain while the other materials attained significantly higher surface temperatures; the Accoya decking remained cool to touch despite being in direct sunlight on a day with an ambient temperature of 32 degrees Celsius.
Further contributing to the barefoot friendly credentials, Accoya decking's surface remained smooth and resisted splintering and grain raising, despite the high ambient temperatures. This reflects real life experience of Accoya used for terraces in recent years. Accoya's improved durability and enhanced dimensional stability results in resistance to cupping and warping, permitting closer fitting, wider decking boards to be used.
Bryan Crennell, Director of Sales and Marketing at Accsys Technologies, said: "These findings reaffirm that Accoya is one of the most superior wood products on the market today. Created using Accsys' propriety acetylation technology, Accoya delivers outstanding levels of performance, including stability, durability and sustainability. Made with FSC certified wood, Accoya is in an attractive wood product which is perfect for a variety of uses from windows and doors to external cladding, structural projects and decking.
Accoya is already proving to be a popular choice for decking across Europe and the rest of the world, where customers are looking for a material which will provide them with a durable and sustainable decking alternative which can cope with extremely cold and warm temperatures."
