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.
How long does Accoya last?
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.
Does Accoya need to be finished or oiled?
Accoya is available in its natural timber colour as well grey.
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, grey Accoya 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.
If you natural or grey is not to your liking, Accoya can also be stained, oiled or coated. Like any coated timber, that finish will require some maintenance over time.
Why choose Accoya over treated Pine or hardwoods?
Being a premium product, Accoya comes with a premium price tag. Which might leave you asking: why choose Accoya over an equivalent hardwood?
Two of the biggest reasons are longevity and low 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, whereas Accoya 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.
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.
For the right application, that can make the initial investment much easier to justify.
For more detailed information about Accoya, please see our blog: What is Accoya Timber? or visit the Accoya Australia website for more information.
Made to Order
Made in Australia
Manufactured by Hammersmith