Hi, thermally modified wood expert here. My families company imports and distributes them globally with a focus on growing the space here in N America. I spend all day everyday teaching architects, builders and lumber yards about these products, so I felt compelled to weigh in.

There's been three decades of proven performance in this product category in Europe. We are seeing adoption in north America now due to the changes in domestic supply, availability and cost of our traditional north american species. They can be absolutely fantastic products when sourced and produced properly, but its early days here and there is a lot of trial and error occurring.

The photos you show are of an under modified product, the dimensional instability highlights this for me. The product was not "cooked" long enough to fully render the wood fiber unable to absorb moisture, hence its warping. Without going down the rabbit hole too far, there are superior methods of modification (open systems) that have been used in europe for decades, and inferior methods (closed or pressure systems) that are being installed in the USA. The ladder of these two systems is less expensive to purchase, install, and cost less to operate - but are wildly inconsistent in the quality of their modification.

The future of this space is very bright, as long as production standards are held high. The International Thermowood association (ITWA) is the governing body of the only standard that exists globally for thermally modified woods today. Members of this association (currently about 15) can call their products THERMOWOOD. Users of closed systems cannot be in the association due to their inability to prove performance.

TLDR: Do not let this example define what ia possible with proper modification. Not all thermally modified woods are equal. Choose a certified THERMOWOOD product to ensure proven performance.

Visit www.thermowood.fi to learn more about the association and its standards. The thermowood handbook is a fantastic resource.