Benefits of Timber Builds | Part One - Building Empires Media Group

Building with an all-wood architecture is starting to become a trend among designers and architects. Just like with everything, there are pros and cons to using it in place of other materials, such as steel and concrete. Although, timber has a huge effect on our environment when it comes to carbon emissions and using materials that can later harm the earth. When you are using timber as a building material, you are allowing for a cleaner more sustainable environment when it comes to chemicals and pollution. A common worry among people with timber builds is an increase in deforestation. While this is a concern, it is a priority to use only dead or diseased trees that would die if left alone. This way, the diseased and sickly trees are being removed while healthy ones remain in place. Here is a quick list that we here at Building Empires put together on the major benefits of timber builds:

#1: Saving Energy

Building materials such as steel can become weak when they are heated, which can result in the structure being weakened and eventually collapsing. Wood holds up in heat, which decreases the need to heat a building whether it is a home or office. This reduces the energy costs and allows for the building to stay stable and over time, harden. Here are some comparisons:

Glass conducts heat 23 times faster than wood
Marble is 90 times faster
Steel is 1650 times faster
Aluminum is 7000 times faster

By eliminating these possibilities, your home will instantly have less energy being leaked out. Wood is a great alternative from brick, concrete, steel, glass, and aluminum because it is self-sustainable. It holds in heat and cold when needed and is very economical.

#2: Saving Money

Wood is a very easy building material to work with. It is affordable and easy to maneuver when it comes to cutting and securing in place.

As Albert Einstein once said:

“People love chopping wood, in this activity one immediately sees results.”

Wood is so easy to work with that if used during major builds, the completion time can be cut in half if not more.

Homes that are framed with wood allow for easy modifications and repairs during and after the building process is complete. Because of wood’s affordability, versatility, and ease when maneuvered- it is becoming a very sought-after building material.

#3: Environmentally Friendly

Back to where we started in discussing the effects on the environment, using wood as a building material creates for a much cleaner environment for us to live in. The amount of pollution is getting worse by the day, so any possible ideas we can implement to eliminate more damage is an instant yes. Carbon emissions will decrease substantially with the use of wood instead of steel and concrete. Housing that is made from trees is sustainable, renewable, and friendly on the Earth by not adding more unnatural materials that could potentially be left on Earth forever.

Currently, reforestation is occurring to restore forests that were once burned or deforested. By taking the mature trees which absorb less carbon and leaving the young trees whilst planting new ones, we will reduce the carbon even more. The younger trees will absorb more carbon, and can eliminate unnatural materials in a building.

#4: Aesthetics

Wood is a naturally beautiful building material, which means you not only get the sustainability of the wood- but the beauty as well. There are over 5000 different types of wood to choose from, all having unique colors, patterns, wood grains, and densities. Each species of wood is different, and each piece of wood has the attributes that make it one of a kind. The great thing about using wood in a design element is that if you want to leave it bare and natural you can, or you can get creative and use paint or stain to create a motif that is specific to you. Wood is so versatile that your design options are endless.

In the words of Albert Einstein: