Carbon Footprint of Timber

This month, we’re looking at the carbon footprint of timber and the effect the transportation of timber is having on the environment, ultimately discussing whether or not timber is an environmentally friendly option for your project.

Government targets to combat climate change

As humanity’s impact on the earth became more clear, the UK government started setting targets to cut our emissions and lessen the damage we’re causing to the environment.

As long as the timber industry is sustainable – that is, for each tree cut down for timber, another tree is planted to maintain a balance –

Most Expensive Woods in the World

Timber is famed for its ease of use, versatility and low prices – all features which make it a fantastic tool for construction. However, not all woods are the same, and whether it’s due to the strength of the wood, its attractive aesthetic or just its rarity, there are some rather expensive woods in the world.

Here we present a countdown of the 10 most expensive woods in the world, looking at what makes them so pricey!

NB: The prices for each wood fluctuates given the current market, and the prices reflected here were accurate as of the date of publishing.

Types of Wood Cuts

Different types of wood cuts produce different qualities in timber. Choosing the right cut for your project can make the difference between a long-lasting, strong and durable structure and a weak or faulty structure, so the more you know about the cuts, the better.

Here we’ve got the run down of the three most commonly used methods of cutting:

Plain Sawn

Yielding little timber waste, plain sawn timber sees a tree being cut through in straight lines. The log is rotated after each cut to a 90 degree angle, so that the annular rings are less than 30 degrees to the face of the wood;

C16 & C24 Timber Properties & Strengths

C16 and C24 are the most common used softwood timbers within the UK. They are widely used in both domestic and commercial projects, but with the two timbers ideally suited to different and specific loads, it can be difficult to know whether you are using the best timber for your construction. Here we have a rundown of the qualities of the two timbers to help you evaluate the whether C16 or C24 timber selection for your project.

Grading Timber – Properties & Strengths

The strength of timber is evaluated after the wood has been kiln dried to below 20% moisture content.

Timber Frame vs Steel Frame

Although it comes down to personal preference, and there’s no definitive answer to the question of which building material is best, with steel becoming an increasingly popular material for construction, we’re looking at the pros and cons of both steel and timber to see how the two measure up.

Speed of construction

A timber frame for a building is much quicker to assemble than a standard brick and mortar house, which makes it a very popular option for many homeowners, but how does this stack up against a steel framed house?

As they are assembled in a similar way to timber frames,

How to fell a tree

Felling a tree is a task which requires the relevant know-how and technique to be done properly. There are various stages involved in the felling of a tree, and here we break these down to make the task as simple as can be:

Prepare

Familiarise yourself with your chainsaw before setting to work, making sure you can use it with ease. Ensure that someone else is present when you plan to fell the tree, as this is an important safety measure.

Choose the felling direction

Once the tree that is being felled has been decided upon,

How is timber graded?

Any timber that is to be used in construction must be graded in terms of its strength and stiffness. Timber grading is a process through which timbers with similar structural properties are sorted into different groupings. Though there are, naturally, significant overlaps in properties in the groups, there are still noticeable and verified differences which can make some types more suitable for certain tasks than others.

Timber varieties

When timber is to be used within the construction industry, it must be suitable for the project’s end use. The two main types of timber that tend to be used in construction work are kiln dried timber and unseasoned timber,

What’s the difference between timber and lumber?

Timber and lumber are often grouped together with one another and this, for the most part, is not wrong; the two are fairly synonymous of one another. There is, however, a difference between timber and lumber which separate these two terms.

Wood is the product yielded once a tree has been felled, but it is then turned into what can be referred to as either timber or lumber, depending on a few factors. In general, timber and lumber can both be used to refer to the wood at any stage following its tree’s felling.

This could include:

• the felled tree itself
• the processed wood product which will be used in construction
• wood pulp that for use in paper production

Here,

Timber Timeline: Journey of Timber Infographic

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Is Timber Environmentally Friendly?

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Is timber environmentally friendly?

Timber frames are fast to build, meaning the construction process is quick and simple, making the energy consumption and production of C02 during the process extremely low.

By using timber, the expansion of forestry is encouraged which in turn increases the carbon sink effect and actively reduces the C02 in the atmosphere;