In recent years, the dominance of wood, under construction, has not diminished. The craze for this healthy, natural and efficient material is real, as evidenced by the design of timber frame houses, the dressing of modern homes and the rejuvenation of old buildings using wood cladding. These make it possible to renovate a facade inexpensively, to achieve extensions of character and thermal insulation from the outside.
They involve, however, particular maintenance, because they must be protected from graying, natural process of aging of the wood under the effect of the sun, moonbeams, and rain, which is often accompanied by mold (blueness) due to moisture. The facades in the west, most exposed to the weather, age quickly, while those that are protected by a roof overhang retain their original color longer. The differences in tone can be very unpleasant to the eye.
Some species resist better than others
The woods are composed of lignin, which gives them their brown color. This component is gradually destroyed by ultraviolet (UV) rays. These oxidize the surface of the wood, on which another component, cellulose, greyish beige, then become dominant if the wood is not protected. The soft, yellow essences contain a lot of lignin and are very sensitive to UV. Exotic, fatty, so-called “long oil” woods naturally block UV and retard the graying process. The white woods, rich in cellulose, are easily attacked by xylophagous insects, unlike the tropical species, which the oil makes less appetizing.
To stop these attacks, the industrialists plunge the wood into autoclave soaking baths, that is to say in vacuum-evacuated enclosures to penetrate the insecticide and fungicide treatment products as deeply as possible, until in the heart of the wood. This method makes it possible to obtain cladding of use class 3 or 4 suitable for outdoor use. Based on copper, it changes the color of the wood, which becomes greener. It is essential to protect this material against fungi and insects.
Strategies to adapt to preserve a wooden facade
All these attacks force to intervene periodically on the cladding. To stop them, there are different ways. The first is to regularly maintain the wood with products that retard the graying or with colored finishes that unify the color of the facade. It is, on the contrary, possible to do nothing and let the wood skate, provided to choose exotic species naturally resistant to putrefaction. Finally, if a traditional cladding seems too restrictive, you can opt for processes that require only limited interventions, such as a pre-painted cladding or reshaped wood. And for even greater ease, opt for composite materials, which require no maintenance.
In general, deciduous trees are better for firing fires than softwood. Spruce or pine burn faster but are also burned faster than birch or oak. In addition, the resins contained in coniferous wood additionally pollute the door and stovepipe.