As a future homeowner who is looking to construct a new house, you would not want to compromise on the strength and stability of your house. To that end, you will be considering various framing materials and the types of framing for your house. These are two of the most fundamental choices when it comes to constructing a framed building. There are various framing materials available today, including steel and insulated concrete. It is important to understand their properties because the material you choose for the structure of the house comes with its own challenges and benefits.
Among the popular and common types of framing materials used in the construction industry today, wood-frame housing has a special place. The history of building houses with wood as a primary source of construction material dates back to thousands of years. Numerous benefits of wood and their unique properties have made them a popular choice for wood frame construction.
5 Benefits of Using Wood as a Framing Material
The article will help you understand the benefits of using wood as a framing material that makes it a favoured choice.
Renewable resource
One of the biggest advantages of using wood as a framing material is that it is natural and the sole renewable material available for framing. If you are conscious about the environment, then wood frame housing will be your pick. The amount of wood used for construction can be offset by growing trees.
It is also sustainable because it carries the lowest carbon footprint among all other framing materials. Unlike steel or brick, no high-energy fossil fuels are used to produce wood. It takes less energy to acquire; it does not need heavy machinery like cranes to move or transport this lightweight material. Even processing wood to timber emits fewer greenhouse gases than steel and concrete.
Reduces Greenhouse Effect
Trees, as a part of photosynthesis, capture carbon dioxide that is in the atmosphere. The gas is retained in the wood even after it is cut down or better, during its entire lifespan. One cubic meter of timber products traps around 1 ton of carbon dioxide. That’s a lot of carbon dioxide eliminated from the atmosphere.
Provides Insulation
Wood is resistant to high temperatures, which means it does not expand due to heat. Materials, like steel, expand with heat and lose their strength. Wood, on the other hand, dries out and increases in strength.
Did you know wood is a natural insulator? Since it is a poor conductor of heat, it does not transfer heat as quickly as metals or stone. Hence, wood provides good insulation from cold. Its unique cellular structure comprises air pockets within timber. The air pockets act as a barrier between heat and cold making wood a natural insulator. By using such an insulation material in a building, less energy will be needed to maintain warmth in the building. Extra insulation materials can also be added between the wooden frames for more insulation.
However, fire hazard is a major issue that deters people from choosing wood over other materials. Heat-resistant wood that is pressure-treated with a fire retardant mixture can be used to protect from the hazards of fire.
Highly Machinable
Since wood is easily workable, it can be fabricated into all shapes and sizes that a construction project needs. It also doesn’t need equipment like a welding machine or various technologies that are required for other materials like steel.
Apart from being highly machinable, they are also easy to maintain and repair in the long run. Deterioration factors, like termites and fungi, that wood is particularly subjected to can be easily avoided by coating it with wood preservatives. When you are using timber as a primary building material, it can even be left exposed when finished. Using timber from different species will only give out an aesthetically pleasing appearance. New wood care products and successful attempts of building innovative structures have only given a facelift to wood as a framing material.
Quick Build Time
Since timber is pre-cut, a wood frame construction can be built and erected faster than building a house with brick. Quicker build time can save a lot of time and money on the part of commercial or residential clients. Since it is also cheap, its popularity has risen among the society that values cost efficiency.
If you have decided that a wood frame construction is what you need for your home or office, you might be wondering what to do next. You can research and choose the best local framing contractors in your area who are abreast of the latest techniques and practices of the industry. If you are looking for a local wood framing contractor in Massachusetts and Connecticut, you can contact Wells Custom Framers for stellar wood framing work.
