Here you’ll find answers to any question you may have about DecoWood. If you still can’t find your answer, just give us a call!

Photo imaging was developed in Italy around 10 years ago. The process involves the reaction between special inks and a polyurethane or polyester powder coating when placed under controlled conditions. Photographic images are absorbed by the coasting with the correct heat and temperature.

After the coating is applied to the metal, it’s wrapped with the film that holds the surface pattern and vacuumed shut to ensure full contact. Then the entire object is heated to 200 degrees Celsius, which causes the ink to run into the metal and transfer the photographic image, creating an attractive finish.  

There are over 350 Decoral photo machines worldwide, but the greatest concentration of them is in Europe where over 50% of aluminium windows now have a beautiful wood grain finish.

The DecoWood finish is regularly tested against the whole spectrum of environmental conditions and levels of force, most notably in Miami, USA and Venice, Italy. It’s exposed to the most likely chemicals to cause erosion and other reactions, and all these durability tests meet the international and Australian standards. The surface has a fantastic resistance to all known problems.

No, you never have to paint, stain or oil DecoWood, which will save you a lot of time and money.

Observing the tests carried out all over the world, DecoWood has been exposed to extremely high levels of radiation and harmful chemical effects, but it continues to surpass all relevant standards. The finish has a superior tolerance all around. 

Given what the imaging process actually does to the metal, any scratches can simply be buffed out or touched up with colour-matched paint, similar to a vehicle’s bodywork. Furthermore, DecoWood coating is much more resilient than timber, so scratching is unlikely unless immense force is applied.

DecoWood is certainly environmentally friendly. With no need to re-paint or seal, the amount of greenhouse gases released is greatly limited. Furthermore, DecoWood products are easily disposed of once the lifespan is over. 

Decoral Systems in Italy has performed an extensive amount of research and analysis. They have laboratories for thorough testing, and the imaging process has been approved by Qualicoat: the international organisation responsible for maintaining high powder coating standards.

No. With DecoWood’s long-term sustainability and durability, repairs and the need to re-paint and seal are not needed. In the long run, this saves you much more money than if you’d used real timber. The exact upfront cost will depend on how much you intend on getting, but on average you’d spend around the same amount getting natural cedar windows and doors.