The Solar Difference

The pioneering spirit which gave birth to the company has lead many progressive innovations with the most notable example being the introduction of solar powered kilns for the drying of timber.

This was completely outside worldwide industry norms yet AST has successfully proven this greenhouse friendly technology is not only good for the environment, it also helps produce a superior product as boards are more naturally seasoned rather than being power dried using conventional methods.

At AST all our flooring products are seasoned by the power of the sun, a completely natural, energy efficient and environmentally friendly process. Our custom built computer controlled and monitored solar kilns capture and intensify the natural heat of the sun. The warm air is then circulated around the kiln chamber to dry the timber to its optimum moisture content for use in domestic and commercial applications.

Unlike conventional timber drying systems our solar kilns are not dependent on fossil fuels, which is good for the environment producing less greenhouse gas emissions. Our solar kilns operate at relatively low temperatures so the drying process is extremely gentle benefiting the timber quality in producing uniformly dried and stable timber with minimal seasoning stress or degrade.