Glass on wood for low maintenance facades

Purpose and goal

There is a desire by both architects and builders to use visible wood in the façade when building multi-storey houses in wood. You want to signal that you have built a wooden house. At the same time, the use of wood in facades in tall houses is a challenge with regard to both fire and maintenance. By combining glass and wood, one can obtain visible wood in the façade while at the same time reducing maintenance costs and improving the resistance to fire spread in the facade. By reducing the proportion of glass in the façade, one can also gain benefits from sustainability aspects.

Expected results and effects

Market surveys and tests carried out show that there are prerequisites for continuing to develop the product. The competing material is primarily high-pressure laminate and screen-printed modules. The tests carried out also showed that the material has a good resistance to temperature changes as well as to moisture changes and UV radiation. The fire trials also showed good conditions for a satisfactory function. There are good prerequisites to further develop the function to meet the requirements that can be imposed on a facade product.

Planned approach and implementation

The project, which is primarily to be considered as a feasibility study, was carried out as a market analysis where competitor material was highlighted as well as which cost images can be accepted by the customers. Prototypes were also manufactured for use as demonstrators for prospective participants and financiers of future steps in the project. The demonstrators were also tested in oriented tests of fire and climate impact such as (UV-radiation, rain, freezing and heat).