Medite MDF has been available in Europe since 1976 and Medite Tricoya Extreme is a fully sustainable MDF panel manufactured by Coillte Panel Products in Clonmel, County Tipperary, in the Irish Republic. Jointly developed by Medite Europe and Tricoya Technologies Ltd, it can be used in applications where wood products may not be the obvious choice.

Characterised by its durability, dimensional stability and reliability properties, Medite Tricoya Extreme uses proprietary wood acetylation technology and a modified fibreboard manufacturing process to create a wood panel product with outstanding performance.

Medite Tricoya Extreme is ideal for use as a façade, cladding or in other exterior applications, says Medite, adding that the panels are manufactured to withstand humidity and varying weather conditions.

Due to its enhanced natural resistance to the effects of water absorption, it also ensures there is less need for costly maintenance; and the surface will remain attractive and functional for a longer period of time, says the manufacturer.

These properties made Medite Tricoya Extreme the choice to help restore Britain’s oldest roller coaster (big dipper), one of the main attractions at the re-opened Dreamland theme park in Margate, Kent, in southern England.

Dreamland was originally opened as an amusement park in 1920 and, following the park’s closure in 2005, its iconic Grade II* listed wooden roller coaster was partially destroyed by fire, with 25% of the structure damaged beyond repair.

With £18m of public funding, a £3m grant from the UK national lottery as a Heritage Lottery grant, and £4m of additional council investment, the theme park underwent a huge redevelopment. Its rejuvenation included the sensitive restoration of the Scenic Railway – one of only eight in the world.

Working closely with contractor TopBond Group, WGH Ltd was appointed to rebuild the railway’s two three-carriage trains and restore the ride’s mechanical operation.

With inherent strength, weather resistance and a sympathetic appearance to the original design being the key requirements, WGH turned to Medite Tricoya Extreme for the carriages’ seating and flooring.

"As a major supplier of rides to the leisure industry, we traditionally work with aluminium and steel in the design and manufacture of both carriages and mechanical engineering elements," said Tony Brown, Director at WGH. "It’s the first time we have used timber and we turned to the light weight and weather resistance of Medite Tricoya Extreme to create seating areas for 28 people in six carriages across two trains.

"We also used Medite Tricoya Extreme panels for the carriage floors," he added. "Painted and finished with a slip-resistant coating, this ensured we not only achieved excellent health and safety standards, but also a fast, efficient installation."

Due to the proprietary acetylation process used to modify the wood elements, Medite Tricoya Extreme has a naturally altered unique chemical structure. This process greatly reduces the ability of the panels to absorb water, creating a stable and extremely durable product with a 50-year guarantee, backed by independent British Board of Agrément (BBA) assessment, says Medite.

Back to school

At Nørre-Snede School in Denmark, more than 100 Medite Tricoya Extreme panels have been used to create a five metre-high climbing tower that forms part of a new interactive playground experience.

Designed by architectural firm Gustin A/S, with material supplied by DLH, the playground area uses innovative technologies and bespoke equipment to set new standards for outdoor play and exercise. A key focal point for the play area, the timber mountain known as Tells House, challenges students to reach its summit while protected from the elements by precision-engineered timber panels.

With the equipment’s strength and stability key to children’s safety, the Medite Tricoya Extreme panels proved the perfect material solution – combining excellent machinability, weather resistance, a simple installation and outstanding long-term performance, says Medite.

Product manager Peter Clifton commented: "Medite Tricoya Extreme is a high-performance and very durable solution for a wide range of external applications.

"Due to its enhanced natural resistance to the effects of water absorption, there will be less need for costly and disruptive maintenance works, with the tower remaining both attractive and functional for a longer period of time."

Available in two panel sizes – 2440 x 1220mm and 3050 x 1220mm – Medite Tricoya Extreme can be supplied in an array of thicknesses from four to 18mm. To achieve the tower’s complex design, over 100 panels were supplied in the standard 2440 x 1220mm size, in thicknesses of 9, 15 & 18mm.

A variety of Buildings

When building a new houseboat to reside on the salt marshes of Essex, UK, Barry Jones turned to 120m2 of Medite Tricoya Extreme for the vessel’s external walls. A builder by trade, and a houseboat designer, Mr Jones cut a 20 x 3mm groove with a router into the Medite Tricoya

Extreme panels at 400mm centres to create a uniform and contemporary shadow across the vessel’s exterior. The panels were finished with three coats of an acrylic exterior paint system, coloured to blend into the landscape and horizon.

Mr Jones commented: "This was the first time I had used Medite Tricoya Extreme and I was extremely pleased with the results. Whereas cement-based boards are heavy and difficult to handle and would have made the boat look like a shed on water, the Medite Tricoya Extreme panels provided an attractive and modern finish that was aesthetically superior to the alternative systems available."

External cladding calls for tough, weather-resistant materials which can stand the test of time; hence, in a project which was again in the UK, Medite Tricoya

Extreme was used for the creation of an aesthetically stunning and water-retardant external façade for a high-specification, ultra-modern beach house on the coast of Cornwall.

The façade, which was part of the refurbishment of a private home in the town of Newquay, perfectly complements the beach house’s cedar cladding system.

As well as the extension, Medite Tricoya Extreme was chosen to provide existing elevation and perimeter details with an attractive finish and long-term weather resistance against the effects of salt water and UV light. Self-builder David Wring said he required a highly versatile, workable and water-retardant wood cladding system for the project.

He explained: "I came across Medite Tricoya Extreme at a display of the product in the Building Centre in London. I wanted a new, innovative and easily workable wood panel system for three separate external applications. With its unique performance properties and outstanding versatility, Medite Tricoya Extreme proved ideal."

For the cladding to the extension, 9mm panels were finished with an acrylic exterior paint system, ensuring the panels would not require redecoration for more than 10 years. To complete the specification, 18mm Medite Tricoya Extreme was supplied for cappings and a retaining wall in the landscaped garden.

"Offering exceptional workability and ease of application, Medite Tricoya Extreme proved easy to cut, machine and install without any specialist skills," added Mr Wring.

Product Manager Peter Clifton commented: "There is an ever-increasing demand for Medite Tricoya Extreme in a number of markets – and in a growing number of end-use applications. Medite is working closely with its partner, Tricoya Technologies Limited (TTL), and as a result the project is progressing extremely well.

"Medite also continues to work closely with its distributors and industrial consumers to communicate and demonstrate the outstanding performance characteristics of this innovative and market changing product to a growing audience."