What is Wood Most Used For?
What is the wood most commonly used for? The wood that makes up a typical home is generally oak, maple, cherry or birch, although hickory is also becoming more popular. Commercial wood products are heavily used in large scale projects such as home, office and tall building structure, infrastructure, furniture, floors, decks and piers, but are also used in many other smaller scale objects such as toys, tools, musical instruments and kitchenware. With such wide usage, the wood industry is quite lucrative, and it’s not surprising that a large number of people are looking into starting a woodworking business of their own.
How does wood come into existence? Wood is the most widely used material in the construction industry for numerous reasons. It is extremely durable and strong, and is easy to work with. It is strong enough to be used for stairs, beams, balconies and columns, making it a key element of modern construction and living. Due to these properties, wood is an excellent construction material.
What is wood made of then? The primary component of wood is cellulose, which is a combination of plant fibres and epidermal debris. Wood also consists of a variety of non-cellulose components such as keratin, starch, mineral oil and varnish. These compounds all contribute towards the unique colour, feel and strength of wood, which makes it an extremely sustainable building material. Wood is completely biodegradable, meaning that it will disappear into the earth without causing any harm or damage.
So why is wood so valuable? In addition to its wide variety of useful properties, wood is unique as a construction material because it is one of very few types of construction material which is both sustainable and renewable. Wood is an excellent choice for high quality, low cost furniture and other structures that require strength and durability. Its beauty, versatility and sturdiness make it an excellent choice for both home and commercial purposes. It has some of the highest possible strength, while at the same time being extremely durable. This combines to make wood an ideal building material which can withstand many years of harsh outdoor conditions.
Wood is also frequently used as a main ingredient in the manufacture of reinforced concrete. The term ‘reinforced concrete’ encompasses a wide range of concrete products, including: precast slabs, stamped blocks, stamped masonry and precast panels. It is important to note that although wood commonly used as a building material, it is not completely waterproof. It is not recommended that you use untreated wood as a substrate in any construction applications, as wood is likely to expand and contract during any weather conditions.
Another popular construction material made from wood is lumber. Logs are very durable and strong, making it ideal for flooring purposes. In addition to its strength, wood is often used as a primary building material because of its affordability, ease of processing, sustainability and aesthetic appeal. Lumber harvested from sustainably managed forestry areas and from environmentally and socially responsible sources is widely recognized as being highly beneficial to the environment.
Softwood refers to trees with less dense kernels and needles. Typically, softwood trees have higher yields per tree than hardwoods do, making them less expensive per unit. Softwood lumber is very flexible, and so it makes it easy to use for flooring applications. In addition, softwood trees have larger and broader tree stumps which allow for stability. These characteristics make it ideal for applications where the wood has to withstand being walked on, such as outdoor decking. Hardwood lumber on the other hand, has a dense core that tends to make it more stable when standing on its own.
There are many more types of wood that can be used for construction projects, but these two most common in the industry. Wood is versatile, beautiful and practical. In fact, it’s even been known to be more durable than steel! The next time you’re out looking for lumber for your next project, consider using wood.
