ThermoForest Products has incorporated many practical changes in recent years. Through the assessment, understanding, and refinement of the thermowood process, we put engineering and scientific methodology first. This open minded yet disciplined approach provided effective solutions which improved our process and hence the product. The result is a unique science that gives us the ability to produce stable, value added wood products in commercially viable quantities.

The company has always viewed thermal modification as having a major benefit for the wood products industry. Past entries to the market from a variety of competitors offered products at premium price levels (comparable to composite/plastic materials). We were pleased to establish a model that could produce a far more mainstream, in terms of cost, superior product. Our current pricing structure is highly competitive with pressure treated and cedar products.

We are focused on increasing our production capabilities, while continuing R&D efforts in not only thermowood but other areas of torrefied wood products.


Since 2002, ThermoForest’s Thunder Bay operations have redeveloped the Finnish thermowood technology that was originally created to improve raw wood using extreme heat. The primary objective was to improve on thermowood science, particularly as it applies to North American species for our market, while meeting or exceeding the highest environmental and technical standards.

The final stages of development have proven to be expensive and time consuming, but highly rewarding. Dramatic changes are clearly visible on the surface, with both the color and the surface hardness being improved. But the most important transformations are found throughout the body of the wood. Exhaustive testing shows our process even more advanced than anticipated.

Independent studies conducted by Lakehead University show that the process changes the physical properties with a number of resulting benefits. Dr Mat Leitch of Lakehead’s Wood Science department suggests: “The most important is likely the unique way the ThermoForest process alters woods’ cellular walls, increasing its strength and contributing directly to its structural integrity through a process called reinforcement and compression. This is a drastic departure from most competitive thermal processes, which typically produce structurally damaging, cellular collapse.”

The many benefits provided by the products are as significant as the technology itself. No chemicals are added in the process, food sources for mold and insects are significantly reduced and, the natural stresses of twist and warp are almost eliminated. The resistance to water penetration and absorption is substantially improved as is the aesthetic value. And because our process requires only 24-48 hours* for completion, depending on the wood species, it means that maintaining a job-ready inventory is much easier to manage.