The Natural Beauty of Americana™ Thermally Modified Wood

Americana™ Thermally Modified Wood Process

Heat changes the wood. Steam keeps it stable & equalizes it to the outdoor environment.


That's it. No injecting of toxic chemicals. No stew of oils, plastics, and resins. Nothing but pure, beautiful, natural Pennsylvania hardwood. You want a low carbon footprint? Then let's go negative: the wood harvesting process contributes only a minute fraction of the carbon sequestered by the wood itself. New growth of young trees take in that carbon, and then a whole lot more. Plus, our solar array more than doubly off-sets the energy used to transform the wood.

Because we're local, we don't have to transport the wood over the ocean. Drive through or fly over Pennsylvania. Take a look. You will see vast expanses of hardwood trees that almost twice out-grow the harvest every year. This is no slash-and-burn tropical rainforest. This is the very picture of health, vitality, sustainability, and beauty.

MADE IN AMERICA

Inside Our Manufacturing Process

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Performance

HERE'S HOW AMERICANA™ THERMALLY MODIFIED WOOD COMPARES TO TOP COMPETITORS

We've seen how it performs. We believe in it. We want to influence the next generation of outdoor living to move away from man-made plastics, and embrace our local, healthy, prolific hardwood resource.


Product Comparasion PDF
Architectural Testing, Inc., Report












Answers to our most common questions

Thermal modification is a specialized process where wood is heated (using steam) to a very high temperature to transform it on a molecular level into a highly-durable outdoor material. Thermal Modification turns the wood to a beautiful chocolate brown color, which indicates that the wood has reached the proper temperature (around 400-410⁰ F). At that point, the wood undergoes a fundamental change where the sugars and starches caramelize, making the wood a non-food source. Also, the wood cell walls lock into place, preventing the wood from absorbing water like that of unmodified wood. Overall, the durability of the wood is multiplied many times, giving Thermally Modified wood a 25+ year lifespan outdoors without chemicals or anything else manmade.
The primary purpose of Thermal Modification is durability (resistance to rot, increased lifespan, resistance to insect damage). Thermal Modification gives the wood Class 1 durability (25+ years).
No. The only ingredients are heat, steam and time (approx. 28 - 30 hours).
No. Americana hardwoods are thermally modified to withstand outdoor climates and weather. The only ingredients used to modify the wood for outdoor use are heat, steam and time.
Thermal Modification turns the wood a beautiful chocolate brown color.
Yes, and Americana offers FSC certified wood.
25+ years.
Following a few wet/dry cycles, some boards may show superficial checking and occasional cracks near the end of the boards.
We recommend the application of a penetrating UV protectant like Penofin or Cutek Extreme, with re-application every 6-months for the first couple of years.
Please take a look at our Comparision PDF.
Americana Hardwood will “season”, adapting to its environment. Without UV protectant, the wood will lighten and eventually turn silver (in approx. 6 - 12 months). Expect to see superficial checking, occasional cracks (usually near the ends of the boards). Note that neither checking or cracking indicate product failure, these are natural adaptations common to all natural woods.
Yes, Americana Hardwoods require pre-drilling for screws/nails. Use stainless steel fasteners only.
Deck boards require a minimum of 3/16” spacing and must be installed no less than 8” above the ground.
Americana Hardwood products are made to be relatively maintenance-free. Other than the occasional cleaning (every 6 - 12 months), the wood can be allowed to “silver” naturally.