In Amersfoort, 47 homes are being fitted with Platowood Fraké window frames finished with an opaque coating. The houses are constructed entirely in Cross Laminated Timber (CLT). Never before have timber homes of this scale been built in the Netherlands with Platowood frames featuring an opaque finish. Within this sustainable project, the choice is ideal: Platowood frames only need repainting every 12 to 15 years.
Maintenance Interval of Up to 15 Years
While traditional frame wood typically requires sanding and repainting every 5 to 6 years, Platowood Fraké window frames offer a maintenance interval of up to 15 years. This not only makes them more sustainable, but also significantly reduces maintenance costs. Unlike untreated wood, which expands and contracts, causing paint to deteriorate, platonised wood exhibits up to 90% less shrink and swell. This means much less stress on the coating, allowing Platowood frames to be repainted only once every 12 to 15 years.
Additionally, Platowood frame wood is an inherently sustainable choice: the fraké used comes from fast-growing, sustainably managed forests. It is modified in an environmentally friendly way using only heat and water.
Outstanding Properties
Thanks to hydrothermal modification, the wood becomes far more dimensionally stable and low-maintenance than conventional wood, with properties comparable to hardwood. Even untreated, it has a lifespan of up to 50 years. Through finger-jointing and laminating, wood waste is minimised and Platowood ensures flawless, easy-to-process lengths.
Platowood frame wood also boasts high thermal insulation (with a Lambda value of 0.115), helping reduce energy costs and making it easier to meet Dutch BENG standards. The wood is burglar-resistant — comparable to meranti — and suitable for all types of hinges and locks. Platowood Fraké frame wood is KOMO-certified.
Prefab installation in Amersfoort
The ‘Hof van Duurzaamheid’ in Amersfoort is a highly sustainable, green residential neighbourhood and a prime example of clean, circular construction. In CLT construction, the site is no longer used for fabrication, but for assembly. Each home is delivered in parts and assembled on site — a perfect fit for Platowood’s sustainable, low-maintenance window frames.
Treetek supplies the CLT walls to Timmerfabriek Frank van Roij, which manufactures the Platowood Fraké frames, applies the opaque coating, and installs them into the CLT panels. The panels are then delivered to the site, where Karbouw handles the final construction. Studio Nauta is responsible for the architectural design, and landscape architect Le Far West designed the outdoor space, which will be executed by VIC Landscapes.
