The Future of Wood
In an era where sustainability and environmental consciousness are at the forefront of consumer choices, Abodo represents a paradigm shift towards carbon-negative timber building materials.
Carefully crafted timber with tomorrow in mind, Abodo stands as a testament to responsible forestry practices and environmental stewardship and is crafted from sustainably sourced New Zealand Radiata Pine and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®). "We're committed to meeting the increasing needs of today's building industry without disadvantaging future generations," says Daniel Gudsell, founding director at Abodo. For more than 20 years, Daniel has been working with rapidly renewable plantation timber to create beautiful, durable, carbon-beneficial feature timbers.
Carbon negative timber
The European export market has pushed Abodo to outperform on other measures as well, Daniel says: "Because we trade in Europe," says Daniel. "We have to compete with the global market on CO2 emissions. We find that the architects we work with there are often even more driven by those measures than they are by design aesthetic. Embodied carbon is a priority, and even when we're shipping product 20,000km, it's still storing around 500kg of CO2 per cubic metre. This means that, in addition to being energy efficient and having no chemical additives, our thermally modified Vulcan timber is carbon negative."
Creating a more sustainable future for the building industry is at the heart of Abodo's values. even if the path to get there isn't always easy. Daniel adds: "We recognise that people value these old-growth materials because of the way they look and how they perform over time, but they don't always take into account that they are unsustainable, no matter how you spin it. The question we need to be asking is whether or not there will be as much or more of a resource left for future generations. If the answer is no, it's not sustainable. It's that simple." Thermally modified timber Abodo has brought thermal modification technology to New Zealand, enabling the transformation of renewable plantation timber into durable wood that can stand the test of time. "This technology was developed over 100 years ago," says Daniel. "It uses high-temperature kilns to caramelise the resins in the wood and alters its cellular walls, making it more durable without the need for any chemical treatments or additives. We've had to go through a lot of testing to show that our thermally modified Vulcan timber is as good or better than existing timber solutions."
Abodo's thermally modified timbers are free from harmful chemicals, making them safe for people and minimising negative impacts on the environment. Thermal modification also provides the following benefits:
- Durability class 1 (EN350-1)
- Ideal for interior, exterior and joinery applications
- Improved stability (less movement).
Vulcan timbers perform particularly well in window and door applications, Daniel says: "In addition to being aesthetically pleasing – akin to a tropical timber – and stable, Vulcan also boasts 20% better thermal conductivity, meaning it is a better insulator than traditional timbers." An important consideration in the design of windows and doors, the right timber choice will greatly improve the value, health, and sustainability of the building. Vulcan Joinery timber provides an ultra-low thermal conductivity rating of ~0.095 W/(mK).
National distribution
Timbmet are delighted to be the stocking partner in the UK for the full Abodo product portfolio – including a wide product range across flatsawn (25-75mm) and vertical grain (engineered) is held ex-stock. From Timbmet's in-house sawmill, they can also offer both standard and bespoke profiles. Full nationwide delivery is available from Timbmet's two stocking depots – Oxford and Glasgow
Join our UK Roadshow – the Abodo UK Stadium Tour is happening in April/May 2024.
For more information and to register, email: hello@timbmet.com or phone: 01865 860 350
