What is Accoya?

Accoya is a premium, high-performance modified timber designed to deliver exceptional durability and stability in outdoor applications.

It begins life as sustainably sourced Radiata Pine from FSC® certified forests before undergoing a process called acetylation — or, as we like to jokingly refer to it, turning ordinary pine into “pickled pine”! 

Acetylation modifies the wood at a molecular level, greatly reducing its ability to absorb water. This dramatically improves the timber's dimensional stability and resistance to rot and decay, while still leaving you with real, natural wood. 

And the results speak for themselves. Accoya comes with an industry-leading 50-year warranty for above-ground applications and a 25-year warranty for in-ground or freshwater applications. It is also certified for use in termite zones and is 22 times more resistant to termites than untreated pine. 

Accoya is available in both a natural (clear) finish and a grey timber finish.

Natural Accoya can be left unfinished and, when exposed to the weather, will gradually develop a silver-grey patina. This natural weathering does not affect the durability, stability or performance of the timber.

If you prefer the grey appearance from day one, Accoya Colour Grey offers another option. Rather than simply applying a grey coating to the surface, the pigment penetrates through the timber from the surface to the core. This means the timber can be cut or machined without exposing an uncoloured centre. 

That said, if you have a particular colour or appearance in mind, Accoya can also be stained, oiled or coated. Like any coated timber, that finish will require some maintenance over time. Leaving Accoya uncoated eliminates the need for ongoing recoating or oiling, although normal periodic cleaning is still recommended. 

What is Accoya typically used for?

Accoya is particularly well suited to outdoor applications.

Here at Hammersmith, we currently offer Accoya primarily as outdoor cladding and decking. However, on request, we can also run different profiles or manufacture other Accoya products. See our Custom Woodworking & Woodturning page for more information.

Cladding and decking is just two of the many ways to use Accoya. It is also commonly used for mouldings for doors and windows, pergolas and other outdoor structures, and outdoor furniture. Essentially, anywhere you would normally consider using timber outdoors, Accoya is worth considering, particularly where you want the natural look of timber without the ongoing maintenance that can come with other outdoor timbers.

Why choose Accoya?

Being a premium product, Accoya comes with a premium price tag. Which might leave you asking: why choose Accoya over an equivalent hardwood?

The answer is simple: longevity and ease of maintenance.

Traditional exterior timbers such as Spotted Gum and Blackbutt generally require ongoing coating or oiling if you want to maintain their original colour and appearance.  Accoya, on the other hand, can be left unfinished and allowed to weather naturally to a silver-grey patina without affecting the durability or stability of the timber. While periodic cleaning is still recommended, there is no requirement to continually oil or recoat unfinished Accoya simply to maintain its performance. 

This makes Accoya particularly well suited to applications such as cladding, especially on homes with high ceilings or multiple storeys where accessing the timber for regular coating maintenance can be difficult and costly. 

Another advantage of Accoya is its workability. Although Accoya begins life as a softwood, the acetylation process gives it exceptional durability and dimensional stability while retaining excellent machinability. It is relatively lightweight and easy to cut, drill and machine using conventional woodworking tools. 

So, while Accoya may come with a higher upfront price tag, you're investing in real timber designed to remain stable, durable and attractive for decades, with significantly reduced maintenance requirements. Over the life of the product, that can make the initial investment much easier to justify.

You can learn more about Accoya on their website here: Accoya Australia.