February 10, 2016

Vastern Timber launches Brimstone thermally modified timber at EcoBuild 2016

Vastern Timber will be launching Brimstone, its groundbreaking super-heated timber product range, at next month’s EcoBuild exhibition in London.

Thermally modified timber is growing in popularity around the world because its unique physical properties make it ideal for cladding, decking, and external joinery – and Brimstone is the first timber product of its kind to use hardwood sourced exclusively in Britain, meaning that British woodlands enjoy the benefits of long-term sustainability.

The perfect timber for building
Thermal modification is a chemical-free process that involves reconfiguring wood by super-heating it to temperatures of between 160° and 210°. It results in an exceptionally durable timber highly resistant to mould and fungus, so that wood species that would normally rot in the open air can last for many decades untreated.

Perhaps even more importantly for cladding and other external uses, Brimstone products are much more stable than normal timbers, and even in very wet or humid conditions there is negligible expansion and contraction. The stability and uniformity of the timbers, along with their attractive chocolate-brown colour, makes them ideally suited to all kinds of external building and joinery projects.

Supporting British woodlands
Brimstone is the result of a collaboration between Vastern Timber and organisations including the BRE (Building Research Establishment) and Grown in Britain, the movement dedicated to protecting British woodlands and supporting a sustainable British timber industry.

The final Brimstone range offers thermally modified ash, sycamore and poplar products – all sourced exclusively from English and Welsh woodlands. Tom Barnes, managing director of Vastern Timber, said: ‘We are excited about the Brimstone range because it offers an attractive and reliable alternative to tropical hardwoods, using wood sourced from native woodlands.

‘We believe that sustainability begins at home. Thermal modification represents a real opportunity to create a demand for lesser-used white hardwoods and potentially change the fortunes of British mixed woodlands.’

EcoBuild 2016 runs from 8-10 March at Excel London. It is the leading UK exhibition and conference for the construction and energy market, with dozens of high-profile speakers, interactive events and over 800 exhibitors. Vastern Timber will be showcasing all three Brimstone products at stand E6131 – do come and see us to find out more about how you could use thermally modified timber in your building projects.