Updated by "Forest Circular Economy" Editorial Board on May 31, 2025, 10:00 AM JST
Editorial Board, Forest Circular Economy
Forestcircularity-editor
We aim to realize "Vision 2050: Japan Shines, Forest Circular Economy" promoted by the Platinum Forest Industry Initiative. We will disseminate ideas and initiatives to promote biomass chemistry, realize woody and lumbery communities, and encourage innovation in the forestry industry in order to fully utilize forest resources to decarbonize the economy, strengthen economic security, and create local communities.
R.C.CORE, which operates the BESS log house brand, has developed Riopake (BESS's original surface preparation agent and unique construction method), a construction technique that eliminates the need to remove existing paint when repainting wooden buildings. The new technology eliminates the need for the cost, labor, and stripping agent that were indispensable with conventional methods, and has realized low-cost, environmentally friendly maintenance of wooden buildings.
In the past, when repainting wooden structures, it was necessary to remove residues of existing paint. In some cases, a stripping agent containing environmentally hazardous ingredients is used, which poses a problem from the perspective of the work environment and environmental impact.
BESS is working with Capital Paint, a company that develops safe and environmentally friendly paints, to produce BESS's original surface preparation products. This technology was patented in April 2025.
When R.C. Core implemented "Riopake" on its own brand of wooden houses, the surface preparation process at the time of repainting was almost halved in both cost and labor compared to the general cleaning process. The company also conducted a demonstration test of "Rio Pake" on a section of the exterior wood walkway of a commercial complex, and confirmed its high anti-peeling performance.
In promoting the use of wood in buildings, the issues of cost, labor, and environmental impact of maintenance and management cannot be ignored. Establishment of efficient maintenance methods for wooden facilities will be a force that will encourage the shift to wood construction and wood-based buildings. R.C.CORE's knowledge and technology, which have been deployed in wooden housing for about 40 years, have the potential to reduce the burden on builders and contribute to the active use of wood.
