Термодревесина Lunawood

Equilibrium moisture content

After the thermal process the equilibrium moisture content of Lunawood is 4–7%. In outdoor use (+20 Celsius, RH 85%) the equilibrium moisture content of LunaThermo-D pine stabilizes at 10% (EN 13183).

Fastening by hand

Thermal processing makes wood slightly more susceptible to splitting. For this reason we recommend using self-tapping screws with a coarse thread or predrilled holes before fixing. The screws should be stainless steel and suitable for fastening wood. When using nails, they should not be closer than 7 cm from the end of the board or use pre-drilled nail holes. When using a conventional hammer, it is advisable to use a nail punch for the last 2–3 mm. Tongue and grooved boards should be fastened using pre-drilled holes from over the top of the tongue so that the screw or thin nail is driven in at an angle of less than 40 degrees. In the installation the heart side should always be the weather-exposed face.

Fastening – Gluing

Gluing of Lunawood Thermowood is possible. However the gluing and compression time may be 4–6 times longer compared to untreated wood. Always follow the glue manufacturers’ guidelines.

Installation – Decking

When building a deck it is always recommended to keep the deck off the ground to improve the air circulation below. The gap between the boards should be at least 6 mm to secure air ventilation and promote drainage of rainwater. Any gap next to an adjoining wall should be at least 6 mm and the gap between two board ends should be 1-2 mm to allow for any movement.

Installation – Cladding

In claddings, ventilation should be provided behind the boards (min. 40 mm). Please also note that there should be at least 30 cm between the ground and lower edge of the cladding. Screws or nails can be used for mounting. They need to be stainless steel.

Installation – Milling

If Lunawood is intended to be milled, the blades should be in good and sharp condition to ensure good end results. The light, fine-grained saw dust is readily extracted with no adhesion to the cutter blades. Furthermore, due to the fine-grained sawdust, it is recommended to use a respiratory protection mask.

Installation – Planing

Lunawood can be planed with a normal planer or planing machine. Planing Lunawood gives its surface a superior quality. The planing machine should be adjusted for hardwood species and the planing speed is less than with untreated similar wood. The raw material after thermal processing may be convex and therefore the feed rollers should be adjusted accordingly to prevent the boards from splitting.

Installation – Sanding

Sanding may not be needed with Lunawood at all because the quality of the surface is so good after being planed and milled. However, if Lunawood is sanded the resin free material keeps your sandpaper in good shape for a longer period of time.

Installation – Sawing

Sawing Lunawood is just as easy as sawing ordinary wood. However, the blade should be a sharp, fine-toothed saw and the wood should be fed slowly.

Surface treatment – Outdoors

Lunawood Thermowood should be surface treated before installation or immediately after installation if the beautiful brown color is to be retained. Treating the boards with tinted or pigmented wood oil, wax, wood-protecting stain, varnish or paint – which contains a UV-filter – can retain the surface color. The surface treatment can be applied either before or immediately after installation using only a thin coat. Any excess should be wiped off. However, one should always follow the manufacturer’s recommended guidelines.

Surface treatment – Indoors

Normal paints, wood oils, waxes, and varnishes can be used indoors. For saunas, paraffin oil can be used in addition to a surface treatment agent to emphasize the color of Thermowood and protect it from impurities.

The use of Lunawood without surface treatment

Lunawood recommends surface treatment for Thermowood always when the end use application is exposed to weather. With all wood materials it is typical that after time fine cracks and splinters appear on the surface. Though Thermowood has lower potential for these defects, they still exist and coating protects the wood from them.

Strength

Bending strength properties are somewhat reduced with heat treatment class LunaThermo-D. Therefore it is not recommended to use Lunawood in load bearing structures without additional support; or without strength calculations being carried out on a case-by-case basis.