Monday, July 4, 2016
Accoya®, the high performance modified wood manufactured by Accsys Technologies, has been used to restore an 18th century water wheel on the island of Jersey.
Le Moulin de Quétivel is Jersey’s last remaining working watermill and currently operates as a functioning mill creating its own brand of flour.
Since its restoration in 1978 by the National Trust for Jersey, this is the third water wheel to be crafted by the Trust’s in house craftsmen. Accoya was specified over other timber products due to its exceptional levels of stability and its resistance to wood rot and decay.
“Unlike other wood types such as Pitch Pine which are prone to rotting in damp and wet conditions, we felt that Accoya was the best choice to renovate this historic watermill. Due to the variable climate on the island and the waterwheel’s exposure to water, we needed a wood that could remain structurally sound yet maintain its aesthetic qualities. Accoya was the best solution.” Comments Laura Ladd, Head of Marketing at Accsys Technologies.
“Accoya is consistently specified for the highest-quality construction projects in Europe, and this example of the Le Moulin de Quétivel on the island of Jersey really emphasises why Accoya outshines competitor wood products. Independent tests demonstrate the stability, durability and consistent quality of Accoya time and time again and these are the reasons Accoya has proved so popular with architects and construction specialists world-wide.” She added further.
James Lathams supplied ready planed pieces to make up the wheel and local contractor Dean Le Bailly carried out the work to make the 72 curved segments. The segments were machined onto a CNC overhead router along with eight different 90 degree arcs which were glued together to make a very accurate template for the rims. The rims were laminated together using a two part proxy resin and the joints were tested for strength and water resistance before final assembly. Lastly, the rims attached to the gearing of the milling wheels inside.
The end result was a fully restored working waterwheel made from Accoya that is guaranteed to withstand wood rot and decay above ground for at least 50 years.
Tony Gray, joiner contracted with the National Trust for Jersey said: “Having worked with Accoya extensively over the years while running my own joinery manufacturing business, I knew that Accoya would be the ideal wood product for the restoration of the waterwheel at Le Moulin de Quétivel. We chose Accoya because of its resistance to wood rot and its superior levels of stability and long durability.
Manufactured using Accsys Technologies’ proprietary acetylation process, Accoya is one of the most advanced modified wood products on the market delivering outstanding levels of performance and class 1durability. Exceeding the high-quality and aesthetic attributes of tropical hardwoods, it also boasts excellent environmental credentials by using wood sourced from FSC certified and sustainable forests as well as being Cradle to Cradle Gold certified.
Tags: 18th century water wheel, Accoya wood, Accsys Technologies, island of Jersey
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