Manufacturing partnership forges fire-resistant wood that could revolutionize construction industry: 'It's inspiring to merge our areas of expertise'
As human activity has led to rising global temperatures and increased extreme weather events, our living spaces have had to adapt to better protect us from the consequences of these changes. Now, two companies at the forefront of building fire-resistant homes have partnered together.
Swedish company Woodsafe, Europe's largest manufacturer of "durable fire-resistant impregnated wood," is collaborating with Thermory, the world's largest manufacturer of "thermally modified wood," as detailed by AZoBuild. The idea behind the partnership is to combine the expertise of both companies to provide durable, thermally modified, fire-resistant wood.
Both companies were also clear that part of their mission is to harvest wood sustainably, eschewing the destructive logging practices that have long plagued the industry and contributed to an excess of planet-warming gases in our atmosphere.
"I am very proud of the trust from a well-respected pioneer, innovator, and industry leader in the field of thermally modified wood. Together we will contribute to a sustainable society with the forest as a resource," Woodsafe founder and CEO Thomas Bengtsson said in a statement published by AZoBuild.
Simmo Soomets, CEO of Thermory, shared similar sentiments, commenting: "We aspire to improve the environment we live in. Leach-resistant fire protection has been a challenge when creating large public or residential buildings with wood. After a long testing period of comparing different technologies, we are happy to partner with Woodsafe to offer this durable extra layer to our real wood products."
As wildfires have spread rapidly in recent years, devastating many communities, the need for more fire-resistant housing is becoming clear. Recently, massive wildfires have hit Texas, Hawaii, Oregon, and more.
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While wood is typically one of the least fire-resistant building materials, Woodsafe and Thermory have managed to use technology to make sure that it doesn't burn. Their processes include injecting the wood with flame-retardant chemicals and treating the surface of the wood with special coatings.
"It's inspiring to merge our areas of expertise — thermally modified and durable, fire-protected wood — on top of Thermory's sustainable products and Woodsafe's low energy production and present our combined solution to the global market," Woodsafe Product and Business development manager Peter Johnson said, per AZoBuild.
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