Wood adds dimension to any facade

Wood is used in almost every construction project

Architects almost always use wood in their designs. After all, it is a durable material with aesthetic qualities. Those who choose wood cladding also give that facade an elegant and warm appearance. The personal taste and style of the house, apartment, office or other building often determine the choice of the type of wood. A specialist like Carpentier Hardwoord Solutions can help you with this. The family business from Meulebeke not only supplies European hardwood to woodworkers all over the world, but also carries out all processing in its own workshop. It also develops smart systems, which significantly simplify the life of the processor.

Wood is in the Carpentier family's genes. The family business, founded by Willy Carpentier in 1958, has become a leading player in the hardwood market. "Our customers are mainly joiners, timber merchants, landscapers, terrace builders, timber frame builders, construction companies, renovation companies, interior builders, kitchen builders and parquet manufacturers, to name but a few," says Heidi Carpentier. "Innovation and added value are our focus. Under the motto 'Smart Wood for Nice Places,' we not only supply wood for outdoor and indoor applications, but we can also perform all operations in our own production. After all, we have a team of experienced, driven people and extensive, modern machinery at our disposal. Thus, we can saw, cut, dry, heat treat, finely saw, plan, planer, brush and CNC-machine wood. If required, we can also provide finishing services such as burning, brushing, pre-greening, staining and oiling or supply products in ready-to-use kits with assembly instructions. The extensive range of finished products includes wall cladding, wall and ceiling cladding, decks, roof sheathing, shutters, slatted roofs, outbuildings, garden gates, fences and even complete kits for timber frame construction."

Cladding made of sustainable and ecological wood

Carpentier deliberately chooses to work only with ecological types of wood. It is strictly monitored that this wood comes from responsible and legal forest management. Moreover, it was one of the first companies in Belgium with a PEFC and FCS® label. This ecological vision is also carried through into the production processes and product development. "With wood, we can give any facade an extra dimension and a warm appearance. The choice of wood species depends on your personal taste and the style of the building. After all, each type of wood has its own characteristics. We focus mainly on thermally modified wood, which we call HOTwood. Thermally treated ash, softwood, Clear Pine and bamboo are alternatives to the scarcity of tropical hardwood. Thanks to thermal heat treatment without chemicals, this wood is preserved, giving it better shape retention and resistance to moisture and wood rot," explains one at Carpentier. "Oak is also a popular wood species for cladding. It has an even hue, which will gray over time, and in terms of finishing, there are many possibilities. Knots and fine wind cracks add to the natural rustic look. Barnwood, reclaimed wood from old barns, also provides that rustic look. Fairly new in our range are the ready-made profiles in Accoya for facades and terraces. These suit both rural living styles and clean, minimalist architecture."

Smart systems

When developing products, Carpentier thinks not only of the aesthetic aspect, but also of the convenience of the processor. After all, everything must be easily designed, installed and, if necessary, also dismantled and recycled. Thus, an app specially designed by Carpentier supports skeleton builders in drawing up plans and calculating prices. The finished plan is then forwarded to CNC machines, where the precast elements are custom manufactured. "We even go further and supply the load-bearing structure of log homes ready-made with insulation, waiting pipes for electricity, wooden cladding, etc.," Carpentier concludes. "We also developed a smart solution for the easy and fast installation of cladding, namely our QuickClip® products. These represent wooden profiles in combination with the innovative, invisible Grad fastening system. Here, clips are mounted on a solid aluminum substructure. The craftsman only has to click the pre-grooved wooden profiles onto the substructure. This results in fast and efficient installation and allows the profiles to be easily disassembled over time using a set of disassembly keys. Moreover, there are no screws and nails visible."

Conclusion

At Carpentier, they have had a heart for wood for almost 70 years. Even the third generation remains strongly committed to developing innovative products that bear witness to sustainability, ecology and pure craftsmanship.