Benefits of using Timber

Timber is simply the best material you can use for building from an environmental point of view. If you take some time to consider the impacts of timber versus those of other building materials you’ll see that there is an extremely persuasive argument for always building with wood.

Some of the great things about using timber include:

Sustainability

As timber regenerates, it is a renewable resource. This process of renewal is entirely sustainable as it can continue on indefinitely with no drain on the resources of the planet. As the vast majority of timber harvested for building purposes is from plantations and managed forests, the environment receives a net benefit from the use of timber to build as the number of plantations expands. Compared to every other building material timber is clearly the best environmental choice

Carbon neutral

Trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere throughout their lives, and effectively recycle the carbon in the atmosphere. In doing so they capture and store carbon, helping restore balance to the atmosphere. When trees are logged almost all of this carbon is trapped within the timber forever. Despite requiring energy to log, process and deliver, timber used for building captures more carbon than is used in its production and is therefore the only carbon neutral building material. There’s no other smart choice.

Energy used in production

The energy used in a products entire lifecycle is significantly lower for timber than any other building material. Energy usage for extraction/harvesting, transport, manufacture and building show that alternative building materials eclipse timber in energy required by the following amounts Bricks x 4, Concrete x 5, Glass x 6, Steel x 24 and Aluminium x 126

Insulation: Timber has the best insulation properties of any common construction material. It is 5 times more effective than concrete, 10 times better than bricks and 350 times better than steel.

[Source: wood for good]