The United States National Park Service has chosen Accoya, the world-leading acetylated wood manufactured by Accsys Technologies, for a section of the refurbishment of the iconic Sagamore Hill National Historic Site at Oyster Bay, Long Island.
Accoya has been selected to replace the impressive, wraparound porch of the Queen Anne-style property of the 26th President Theodore Roosevelt, which had become worn following weathering and the footfall of thousands of visitors each year.
The renovation of the porch is part of a full-scale restoration project initiated by the National Park Service to one of the United States’ most important historical sites. Sagamore Hill was where Roosevelt hosted many of the world’s most important dignitaries during his seven summers as President, with the ‘Summer White House’ now a popular destination for those keen to learn more about the history of one of America’s most popular leaders.
The renovation follows several smaller ‘patchwork’ projects which have taken place to the building over the years and aims to preserve the property for many future generations of visitors. The current rehabilitation is aimed at avoiding ongoing smaller scale works at the site in future.
As one of the most advanced modified wood products on the market, Accoya was chosen for the porch renovation of Roosevelt’s former home as it delivers outstanding levels of performance, dimensional stability and industry leading Class 1 durability.
Susan Sarna, Museum Curator at the National Park Service said: “In caring for such an important property we needed to ensure that we used the highest quality, environmentally friendly products which were sympathetic to the original porch materials of the site. In addition, given the negative impact that renovation works have on visitor experience, we wanted to use a product that would allow us to reduce ongoing maintenance at the site.
Accoya is longer lasting than competitor products, is less likely to warp or split, and due to its increased stability, paint coatings last three to four times longer than on traditional wood. Using Accoya was therefore an easy to decision to make.”
Tom Murray, of Accoya distributor Rex Lumber said: “The importance of the Sagamore Hill National Historic Site to the US means that the National Park Authority had to think carefully about the products used in the renovation. Products needed to be long lasting and aesthetically pleasing, and the fact that Accoya has been used at the site is testament to its quality. Thorough testing around the world has shown that Accoya is, hard-wearing, stable, durable and sustainable. This makes it perfect for projects of importance and prestige such as at Sagamore Hill.”
The replacement of the deck is part of a three year restoration project of the property, which was originally built in 1885. Currently closed to the public, the house is due to reopen on completion of the restoration work in June 2015.
