Lumber which is otherwise known as timber is wood in any of its stages right from being felled to readiness for use in the construction sites, or more popular – wood pulp for paper industry. Lumber is supplied in various stages right from the very first stage just after it is felled to the very last stage where it is fully polished and engineered. Besides, pulpwood lumber is used as the starting material for making furniture, and other items which require cutting and shaping. Lumber is available in many species mainly hardwood, the lumber which is finished and engineered as a product is supplied in standard sizes so as to provide for the construction industry. This lumber is mainly various types of pine, fir, spruce, etc. In this article, we will discuss about the history of lumber, its benefits, uses and also the harmful effects of overusing wood.
Benefits of natural lumber
Since prehistoric times, man has been using wood for various reasons, to provide for cooking fuel, to build houses, for making industrially useful products and so on but after the industrial revolution, the use of fossil fuels gained momentum. Fossil fuels provide more energy as they have a higher calorific value but produce a lot of waste products and as we know, unlike lumber they are a non-renewable source of energy. The use of fossil fuels and other raw materials can be reduced by using natural and organically cultivated wood. Cultivation of lumber advocates not only a greener and a healthier living but also as a source of carbon sinks which absorbs the carbon dioxide given out by the polluted cities in today’s modern era, and in return gives us much needed oxygen which is a requisite of life.
During construction, when wood is used as a raw material, less amount of carbon dioxide and other waste materials are generated as compared to other raw materials. The use of modern construction materials like concrete, steel, glass, bricks leads to more emission of carbon dioxide which is in check, if lumber is used. The fact of the matter is that for every cubic meter of wood used in place of other building materials, nearly 1.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission can be prevented, besides every cubic meter of wood that replaces fossil fuels and other traditional raw materials cuts down carbon dioxide emission by around 0.7 tonnes.
Environmental impact of lumber
Lumber has the lowest detrimental effect on water and air. That is, use of lumber does not potentially destroy the quality of air and water. This is more soever true, when compared to manufacture of steel, etc.
Rating systems organizations such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design have emerged as one way to rate the detrimental effect of constructions on environment. These rating systems are founded on the four guiding principles of green building:
1. Reducing resource use
2. Reducing energy use
3. Minimizing pollution
4. Reducing environmental impact
Uses of organic and natural lumber
Engineered wood products, glued building products which are engineered for application specific performance requirements, are often used for construction and industrial applications. These engineered wood products display reliable and predictable performance characteristics and provide benefits like design flexibility. They not only allow use of small sized wood material as raw materials but also allow for bigger spans. They are often used in swimming pools where wood does not degenerate in the presence of chemicals and are less susceptible for humidity and climate changes. Engineered wood products are environment-friendly and if used appropriately are less expensive than steel and concrete. These products are extremely resource-efficient because they use more of the available resource with minimal waste. Wood unsuitable for construction in its native form can be broken down into fibers, chips and used as raw material for other building materials. Wood and its derivatives can be used for flooring as well like laminate flooring.
What has organic and natural wood in store for our future generations?
The next generation wood products include new rubber tire replacement applications, lignin glue applications, antibacterial medical agents, recyclable food packing and high strength fabric. In the tsunami and earthquake prone regions around Indonesia and Japan, houses made of natural wood or lumber are more worthwhile as compared to traditional houses made of concrete and bricks as the disasters like earthquake and tsunami lead to more losses with respect to resources and investments on these costly traditional concrete built houses as compared to lumber built houses. The churches of Kizhi, Russia are among a handful of World Heritage Sites built entirely of wood, without metal joints is an example.
Conclusion
Therefore, it could be said that if natural and organic lumber is used in the right way and with certain measures taken so as to preserve it, it advocates to a healthier and a greener living and thus helps in the overall natural environmental protection, which in turn helps the future generations in getting a healthier and a greener world to live in.
