People often think that wood framing is unsuitable for building engineered residential and commercial spaces structures. There are many myths surrounding wood construction. For example, some believe that steel is a better option over wood in terms of durability, while others think wood construction increases the fire risk. But in reality, it is the other way round; if steel is exposed to a fire, its strength drops dramatically and eventually becomes zero, and the building collapses. While the wood-burning rate does not increase exponentially like steel, if a house catches fire, a wooden structure would give more time for people to evacuate than the steel structures. This blog is here to dismiss people's baseless assumptions and clarify why wood is one of the best building materials for residential and commercial framing.
Advantages Of Wood Construction
Timber frame homes are often thought of as lightweight construction and non-durable but don't get the wrong idea. It is a custom-made engineered structure that has remarkable strength and durability. There are many advantages of wood frame construction; let us discuss them one by one.
Natural Material
Wood is one of those natural building materials which has many advantages. We all know that wood is non-toxic and does not leak any chemical vapor into the building. It is safe to handle and work with wooden materials. People have been building timber houses for thousands of years because timber is nature-friendly, durable, and a truly renewable building material. Most timber supplying countries have long-standing policies to regrow more wood than cut down. If people take the initiative to plant new trees and replenish this natural resource, then timber will be a continuous supply in the future too.
Low In Production Energy
It requires minimum energy to convert the wood into trees into the timber used in the buildings. This means that wood has low embodied energy. It is the lowest of almost all building materials.
Great Insulator
We all know that wood is a natural insulator, and it is an excellent material for building windows, doors, and floors. A wooden frame allows more space for insulation than a brick building. Of course, a well-insulated home requires less energy to heat and cool. Timber also has more refined insulating properties than steel. Wood's structure holds air pockets that limit the ability to conduct heat and help minimize the energy required for heating and cooling.
Easy To Work
Wood is a versatile building material, and people use wood for various purposes. Since wood is light thus, it is easier to frame wood with simple tools and equipment. This reduces the energy needed for construction. In addition, different trees produce timber of different colors, textures, and functional qualities that are apt for different frameworks.
Quick To Build
With wood as a building material, the build is fast compared to other raw materials. It requires elementary working tools to pre-cut, modulate, and build a precision timber frame. As a result, a Wood building is a much quicker process than a brick building. In addition, it takes much less time to erect a timber building than to erect a brick building. Thus, a quick-to-build platform saves time and money for domestic and commercial property owners, making it a suitable fit for everyone.
Durable And Require Low Maintenance:
Wood is a highly durable building material, and some of the well-built wooden structures last for centuries. This natural resource is also cheap and requires a low maintenance cost.
I hope you have an overview of the advantages of wood as a building material and have also cleared some of the myths that were dangling in your mind.