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Conservation & Restoration Refurbishment Work

Accoya® Wood Helps Restore Historic Israeli Windmill to Former Glory

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Jerusalem’s iconic Montefiore Mill has been restored to full working order with the help of world-leading Accoya® modified wood.

The 19th century mill, which was the first work-place for Jews outside of the Old City of Jerusalem, had stood still for almost 100 years before its recent restoration by Bouw en Molenbouw Bertus Dijkstra joinery/contractor in the Netherlands to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel.

Accoya was used in restoration of the iconic landmark – both in the main body of the mill, as well as in the reconstruction of the sails. The mill will now serve as a museum and educational tourism site dedicated to the achievements of Montefiore.

Manufactured by Accsys Technologies, Accoya is one of the most advanced and sustainable wood products on the market today and is created using an advanced modification technology, which delivers outstanding levels of performance including stability and durability. It is created by using a proprietary non-toxic process called acetylation. Providing the same high-quality and aesthetic qualities of tropical hardwoods, it also boasts excellent environmental credentials using wood sourced from FSC certified sustainable forests and is C2C Gold accredited – while being 100% non-toxic.

The contractor/joinery company Bouw en Molenbouw Bertus Dijkstra said: “Accoya matches, and often exceeds, the properties of the tropical hardwoods. With a 50 year guarantee and superior UV resistance, Accoya serves as the perfect material to restore Montefiore Mill, which will stand as an iconic landmark in Jerusalem for years to come.”

The Montefiore Mill was reopened by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this year. Moses Montefiore, who devoted his life to promoting industry education and health in the Holy Land, originally designed the structure in Mishkenot Sha’ananim as a flour mill.

Wood Acetylation is a process which increases the amount of ‘acetyl’ molecules in wood, thereby changing its physical properties. When carried out to a sufficient level throughout the wood, this process protects it from rot by making it “inedible” to most micro-organisms and fungi, without – unlike conventional treatments – making it toxic. It also greatly reduces the wood’s tendency to swell and shrink, making it less prone to cracking and ensuring that, when painted, it requires dramatically reduced maintenance.

Accoya® wood (www.accoya.com ) is produced using Accsys’ proprietary patented process, which effectively converts sustainably grown softwoods and non-durable hardwoods into what is best described as a “high technology wood”. Distinguished by its durability, dimensional stability and, perhaps most importantly of all, its reliability (in terms of consistency of both supply and quality), Accoya® wood is particularly suited to exterior applications where performance and appearance are valued. Unlike most tropical and temperate hardwoods, its colour does not degrade when exposed to ultraviolet light. Moreover, the Accoya® wood production process does not compromise the wood’s strength or machinability. The combination of UV resistance, dimensional stability, durability and retained strength means that Accoya® wood offers a wealth of new opportunities to architects, designers and specifiers. For a full archive of Accoya® news, visit www.accoya.com/news/