When working in the wood industry, Carrefour de Bois is a place to be! Though we feel that the industry has taken a wait-and-see approach to possible fluctuations in the market, the participation was active, and everyone was happy to meet each other face to face after a long, long time.
What’s more, many interesting trends caught our eye!
One trend that stood out, is the gravitation towards thicker cladding profiles – even 32 mm and 37 mm in depth. For comparison, cladding boards are usually around 20-26 mm in thickness.
Also, ribbed profiles of thermo-pine and solutions similar to Thermory’s Mix-and-Match cladding profiles were popular.
Thick and slatted cladding boards create a more pronounced look for the façade and allow you to play with dimensions and textures.
Thermally modified wood as a durable cladding option was significantly present at Carrefour de Bois. Talking with different partners and manufacturers, we see that thermal modification capacity is strongly on the rise.
Thermory has been using and promoting thermal modification for 25 years and we are devoted fans of this chemical-free technology. As it gives a natural material so many additional benefits, it’s no wonder more and more customers are asking for it.
Natural and pale wood tones really stood out from the crowd. For example, lightly thermally modified spruce, that is suitable for exterior use. Pale woods are perfect for giving your cladding an alluring, clean aesthetic and it is suitable for both interiors and exteriors.
If you can’t wait to try out this trend, check out Drift and Vivid Silvered from Thermory’s collection! Or, leave any Thermory cladding and decking unoiled, and it will turn to lovely gray color without any hassle of maintenance.
In terms of product development, emphasis was placed on the sustainable use of wood, such as finger jointing and gluing that allow to make the most out of wood material and give it as much value as possible. No need to dread shorter board lengths either – with finger jointing, installing the cladding is a breeze and the unique result is a plus.
There was also one producer who offered thermo-ash and thermo-oak products from fallen trees and wormwood. We are excited to see that wood can be upcycled this way!
When it came to hardwood, there were very few thermo-ash suppliers. Amongst Thermory’s customers, ash is the most popular wood for both cladding and decking and Thermory is certainly the largest provider of it.
There was no Siberian larch presented, instead the focus was on thermo-pine.
We noted African tree species like Ayous and Frake, which are thermally modified in the Netherlands and Belgium. There were also suppliers of red tropical timber, which shows that there still is demand for tropical timber in Europe, although we would recommend going with thermo-ash instead, as it has the same qualities without danger to our environment.
We see that the use of wood in interiors is on the rise. We spotted many different profiles in various colors that will add a warm touch to private and public interiors. Soft, round profiles are also having a momentum and as japandi style is currently ruling in interior design, we will see more gentle touches added to interior cladding as well.
