The use of fireproof wood will soon be possible indoors and outdoors thanks to Woodenha

Woodenha, a specialist in improving wood performance, is continuing its development and launching a research and development investment program for fireproofing wood in outdoor environments. This innovation strategy was born from a desire to meet strong demand from manufacturers looking to position themselves in the Public Access Buildings (PAB) market.
In a context where the construction of public buildings increasingly incorporates wood, the use of flame-retardant materials is essential. Wood, like any other material, must meet fire performance requirements. Specific treatments can increase this.
its performance by considerably limiting flammability and the spread of flames.

WOODENHA'S EXPERTISE IN INTERIOR WOOD FIREPROOFING
Woodenha has the equipment and expertise to fireproof all types of interior wood (for paneling, solid panels, plywood, glued laminated timber, ceilings, stairs, solid wood, etc.) and prevent or delay the spread of fire from the initial source as much as possible. To guarantee the quality of the treatment
and its certification, the company has equipped itself with a system for weighing wood before and after fireproofing, unique in France.

THE INDENHA FIREPROOFING PROCESS
The wood is placed in an autoclave and then immersed in a solution of one or more active flame retardant ingredients. Successive vacuum and pressure steps allow the active ingredients to penetrate the wood. The wood is dried again after fireproofing to provide a product with a fire retardant content
humidity is in line with its end use.

GROWING DEMAND FOR FIREPROOFING OF EXTERIOR WOOD
Woodenha now has a fireproofing process perfectly suited to interior wood and is currently working on developing a process for exterior wood. No integrated process is available on the market. Existing treatments do not possess all the expected properties, such as the correct dosage of active ingredients in the wood or the long-lasting effectiveness against climatic aggressions in a context of reasoned and sustainable management. At the same time, demand from construction professionals for this type of service is growing, particularly with regard to cladding.

HOW IS WOODENHA RESPONDING TO THIS TECHNOLOGICAL CHALLENGE?
Woodenha has implemented a major 3-year Research and Development program in collaboration with the Ecole Supérieure du Bois (Nantes), made possible by obtaining Young Innovative Company (JEI) status from the Ministry of Research and the support of Oséo for one of its subsidiaries. Since the beginning of the year, Woodenha has integrated Randy Clifford Cloridor, a doctoral student with a degree in physical chemistry of materials, into its team for three years. His mission is to develop a new flame retardant formulation with a favorable ecotoxicological profile and effective in outdoor environments.

WOODENHA'S STRONG POINTS
- The quality of treatments
- The effectiveness of the fireproofing treatment coincides with the service life of the building in which it is used
- The most recent equipment, the only one allowing traceability and measurement of the quantity of active ingredients in the wood
- The wood is dried again artificially after fireproofing
- Knowledge of the most current standards in force and the quantities of active ingredients required to obtain fire classification from the inspection offices. Jean-Baptiste Aurel, manager of the Woodenha company, actively participates in the committee developing fire safety standards through the GTFI (French Technical Group against Fire).
- Full support for the manufacturer from fireproofing the wood to obtaining the PV from an approved laboratory