RETHINK TIMBER, REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT
In today's day and age, building a new structure has many elements to take into consideration. One important element would be the impact it has on the environment and the sustainability of the materials you use. An important task on most environmentally conscious citizen's minds is how one can reduce their carbon footprint. A little known fact is that timber is a low carbon emission alternative when compared to other building materials. It is also one of the most versatile and cost effect materials, being used for roofing, flooring and window framing.
The graph above shows that the use of timber uses considerably less environmentally friendly products such as concrete, brick, ceramic tiles, aluminum and steel. So, when building your home it's a good idea to insist that your builder uses timber frames to reduce your carbon footprint.
Some interesting 'Building with Wood' facts:
Wood is a great insulator, giving your home a warm, welcoming feel.
Using wood can reduce the cost of building a brick house by 5% and can reduce the environmental impact of transportation if a locally produced hardwood is used.
Wood creates natural conditions for a healthy lifestyle as it is easy to clean, keeps an optimum humidity balance and minimizes condensation.
As wood products store the carbon originally absorbed by trees, carbon is removed from the atmosphere for the lifecycle of the product.
Any excess wood from a building site has the opportunity to be recycled or reused, ensuring that none of it goes to waste.
Timber and wood use the least amount of energy to manufacture and have minimal impact on air and water quality.
Architects are looking into using wood as a more versatile, adaptable, sustainable and efficient material to construct tall buildings and skyscrapers.
A timber building will last just as long as a brick or mortis structure. The oldest timber structure is a Bhudist Temple in Japan called the 'Temple of the Flourishing Law' which is over 1400 years old and was built around 607AD.
Timber and wood have the uncanny ability to create a feeling of comfort and contempt with many long-term benefits. It is one of the most environmentally friendly materials to grace this planet as a renewable resource. It is fast becoming one of the most popular, cost effective and aesthetically appealing elements to transform your house into a home. Speak to your builder today about using timber to reduce your carbon footprint.
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