Sioo Wood Protection conducts continuing research with Chalmers University of Technology to create the best wood protection. But, exactly how good are these products? We spoke with Professor Callum Hill who has specialized his work on modified wood and is fully acquainted with the Sioo:x Silicon technology.

Callum Hill previously took part in the research at Chalmers, but he’s now working with UK based JCH Industrial Ecology Limited, which conducts similar studies on wood.

“SiOO:X has a unique surface treatment system where they use a special silicon technology. This chemical treatment works by penetrating through the wood surface, to protect the wood. The density that arises when silicon combines with oxygen from the air is what protects the wood.”

Unlike many other products on the market, SiOO:X products penetrate into the wood, instead of covering the surface like a membrane.

“For wood, you can’t rely only on such a covering to provide sufficient protection. A simple covering on the wood will always fail since the underlying wood is still exposed to UV radiation that breaks it down, slowly causing the cover to separate from the wood.”

This cannot happen with the SiOO:X solution since the treatment is polymerized into the wood matrix, which joins together the cell walls in the wood even when it has broken down.

“The surface protection prevents leaching throughout the curing process. Moreover, the surface protection also provides flexibility as it moves with the wood, while providing a water-repellent surface.”

The combination of natural ingredients within the water-based formula assures that production causes a very small environmental footprint.

“This product is entirely non-toxic and the wood can be burned after the many years of use to recover the energy it stores, leaving only silicon residues in the ash,” concludes Professor Hill.