ABSTRACT
Wood is one of the most prevalent building materials in the world. Approximately 90% of buildings constructed in the US each year are framed with wood, while that percentage is only 15-20% in the UK. Timber is one of the only 100% renewable building materials and it doesn’t naturally produce any toxic by-products in its conversion from tree to product. Trees have one of the longest life spans of all living things – the oldest living trees are 5000 years old. Timber has obvious advantages over other materials: it can regenerate (if properly harvested) and provide an infinite supply for our use; wood is recyclable, waste efficient, biodegradable, and non-toxic. It has proven to be very energy efficient and trees play a major role in soaking up carbon dioxide, reducing the risk of global warming.
