Product attributes affecting consumer preference for residential deck materials

Abstract

Abstract:In many countries, restrictions on the use of traditional preservative treatments have resulted in efforts to develop wood products for outdoor use that are durable, environmentally friendly, and appealing to consumers. In the present study, consumers' preferences for wooden deck materials were investigated using sensory analysis. The analysis included an analytical sensory profiling of five deck materials, conducted by a trained sensory panel, as well as a hedonic preference study conducted on Norwegian customers. Eighteen visual and tactile attributes were identified, and statistical analysis indicated that these attributes were sufficient to discriminate between the different deck materials. The results imply that consumers prefer deck materials with a homogeneous visual appearance and moderate color intensity. The study demonstrated a successful application of sensory research on wood products and implies that sensory analysis is an appropriate tool to study relationships between hedonic judgments and product characteristics. The study was carried out on wooden deck materials, but the results are probably also relevant for other wood products.Résumé : Dans plusieurs pays, les restrictions concernant l'utilisation des traitements traditionnels avec des préservatifs ont suscité des efforts pour développer des produits du bois destinés à être utilisés à l'extérieur qui sont durables, respectueux de l'environnement et attrayants pour les consommateurs. Dans cette recherche, nous avons étudié les préférences des consommateurs pour les matériaux de terrasse en bois à l'aide de l'analyse sensorielle. L'analyse incluait l'éta-blissement du profile sensoriel de cinq matériaux de terrasse, réalisé par un jury entraîné à cette fin, ainsi qu'une étude hé-donique de préférence réalisée par des consommateurs norvégiens. Dix-huit attributs visuels et tactiles étaient suffisants pour distinguer les différents matériaux de terrasse. Les résultats suggèrent que les consommateurs préfèrent les matériaux de terrasse qui ont une apparence visuelle homogène et une coloration de moyenne intensité. L'étude constitue une démon-stration de l'application réussie de la recherche sensorielle à des produits du bois et indique que l'analyse sensorielle est un outil approprié pour étudier la relation entre les jugements hédoniques et les caractéristiques d'un produit. L'étude a porté sur les matériaux de terrasse en bois mais les résultats sont probablement également pertinents pour d'autres produits du bois.[Traduit par la Rédaction]

Classification of wood surfaces according to visual appearance by multivariate analysis of wood feature data

“…In various interview studies in Scandinavia, Broman [1] found that differing preferences existed among people and that the most decisive characteristics of a wood surface were the presence of mismatching features and the overall mixture of features. Similar to those findings, Nyrud et al [4] concluded that consumers prefer wood surfaces with homogenous visual appearance when they investigated the attributes influencing preference for residential decks made of different wood materials. Høibø and Nyrud [5] studied the relationships between preference and visual homogeneity of wood surfaces.…”

“…Yet so far, only a limited number of studies have investigated the aesthetic perception of wood and the relationships between people's preference and visible wood properties (e.g. Broman [1], Bumgardner et al [2], Donovan and Nicholls [3], Nyrud et al [4], Høibø and Nyrud [5], Nicholls and Barber [6]). In various interview studies in Scandinavia, Broman [1] found that differing preferences existed among people and that the most decisive characteristics of a wood surface were the presence of mismatching features and the overall mixture of features.…”

Consumers’ perceptions and preference profiles for wood surfaces tested with pairwise comparison in Germany

“…Configuring the floor samples out of single boards was carried out in a way to achieve an optically balanced image within the floor sample, based on earlier findings regarding visual homogeneity (Nyrud 2008) and the avoidance of mismatching features (Broman 1995b). It can be expected that making floor samples with the same boards but in different composition with regard to the position of the boards to each other may lead to a different visual judgement by the consumers.…”

“…There are only few studies which link individual appearance of surfaces to consumers' preferences. Nyrud (2008) found that wood surfaces should have a homogeneous visual appearance. Broman (1995b) found that diverging/mismatching wood features are more important for people's evaluation than the overall look of a wood surface.…”

How do consumers express their appreciation of wood surfaces? Norway spruce floors in Germany as an example

“…'contrast' in Broman (2001), 'harmony' in Sande and Nyrud (2008) and Broman (2001), 'vividness' in Nordvik et al (2009) and (syn. lively) Broman (2001), 'evenness' in Nyrud et al (2008), Høibø and Nyrud (2010) and Broman (2003), 'number of knots' in Wang et al (2004) and Høibø and Nyrud (2010), 'dots' in Broman (1995). The item 'stripes' The first figure represents the results from hierarchical cluster analysis.…”