Weather-induced colour change in wood: material response in different European locations

Abstract This study investigates the colour evolution of Norway spruce wood during one year of natural weathering across multiple European locations as part of a Round Robin experiment. Colour measurements ( CIE Lab ) were performed on samples with monthly-resolved exposure duration to quantify discolouration and determine total colour change ( ΔE ). The results show that weathering induces rapid colour modification, with the most pronounced changes occurring within the first month of exposure. A clear two‑stage behaviour was identified: an initial colour‑enrichment phase, characterised by increases in CIE a and CIE b , followed by progressive decolouration and greying, reflected primarily through decreases in CIE L . Although the fundamental mechanisms of photodegradation were consistent across all sites, the rate and extent of discolouration varied substantially with local climatic conditions. Samples exposed in Turkey exhibited the highest ΔE values, whereas those in the UK showed the lowest. This difference is consistent with expected climatic variations in solar radiation, moisture conditions, and temperature fluctuations between the two locations, which are known to influence weathering kinetics. The dataset provides a robust basis for linking colour change and its dynamics with site‑specific climate parameters enabling the development of a dedicated dose-response model.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
European Journal of Wood and Wood Products
Published
2026-11-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00107-026-02508-z
Primary Topic
Wood Treatment and Properties
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Weather-induced colour change in wood: material response in different European locations

Gianluca Tondi, Ender Hazır, Martino Negri, Athanasios Dimitriou et al.
2 links
European Journal of Wood and Wood Products
Wood Treatment and Properties
article

Weather-induced colour change in wood: material response in different European locations

Gianluca Tondi, Ender Hazır, Martino Negri, Athanasios Dimitriou, René Herrera, Marco Fellin, I. Burud, Anna Sandak, Graham Alan Ormondroyd, Electra Papadopoulou, Bruno Andersons, I Modzelewska, Ilaria Santoni, Ahmet Can, Eduard Correal Mòdol, Hüseyin Sivrikaya, Edit Földvári-Nagy, Rafael de Ávila Delucis, Jakub Sandak, Richard Acquah, Holger Militz, Inge Wuijtens, Morwenna J. Spear, Róbert Németh, Miklós Bak, Marion Noël, Aleksandra Marszall
article en

Abstract

Abstract This study investigates the colour evolution of Norway spruce wood during one year of natural weathering across multiple European locations as part of a Round Robin experiment. Colour measurements ( CIE Lab ) were performed on samples with monthly-resolved exposure duration to quantify discolouration and determine total colour change ( ΔE ). The results show that weathering induces rapid colour modification, with the most pronounced changes occurring within the first month of exposure. A clear two‑stage behaviour was identified: an initial colour‑enrichment phase, characterised by increases in CIE a and CIE b , followed by progressive decolouration and greying, reflected primarily through decreases in CIE L . Although the fundamental mechanisms of photodegradation were consistent across all sites, the rate and extent of discolouration varied substantially with local climatic conditions. Samples exposed in Turkey exhibited the highest ΔE values, whereas those in the UK showed the lowest. This difference is consistent with expected climatic variations in solar radiation, moisture conditions, and temperature fluctuations between the two locations, which are known to influence weathering kinetics. The dataset provides a robust basis for linking colour change and its dynamics with site‑specific climate parameters enabling the development of a dedicated dose-response model.

European Journal of Wood and Wood ProductsVol. 84(6)
University of Primorska (SI), Bern University of Applied Sciences (CH), University of Padua (IT), Bangor University (GB), University of the Basque Country (ES), Universidade Federal de Pelotas (BR), Wrexham University (GB), Bartin University (TR), Fachhochschule Salzburg (AT), Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa (TR), Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LV), Institute for the Chemistry of OrganoMetallic Compounds (IT), Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (ES), Chimar Hellas (Greece) (GR), National Research Council (IT), InnoRenew CoE (SI), Istituto per la BioEconomia (IT), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NO), University of Göttingen (DE), University of Sopron (HU)
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 19%
Wood Treatment and Properties
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Laika access coming soon