The story of the three little
pigs would tell us otherwise – no, wood is definitely not the best house
construction material choice says the pig who got eaten by the wolf as his
wooden house broke down easily. Kühnlein Architektur surely thought differently
though when they designed the Timber House. This private home is covered
entirely with untreated larch strips which concealed the home’s windows while
letting daylight through. Even a thousand huffs and puffs from the big bad wolf
would not be able to tear it down. So, is it yay or nay for wood?
Wood is a versatile, classic,
and durable material that will always be part of the top choices as a house construction material. Although it ranks second only to stone, most still
prefer it as it is broadly available and comes in different varieties.
Generally speaking, wood is
classified as either Hardwood or Softwood. The distinction depends mainly on
the botanical characteristics of each. Let us take a look into each below:
Hardwood
Hardwood comes
from deciduous trees with wide leaves. Some examples are:
·
Teak wood
·
Rose wood
·
Oak wood
·
Maple wood
·
Ash wood
·
Mango wood
·
Mahogany wood
·
Beech wood
Below are some
hardwood trees from the Philippines:
·
Molave
·
Kamagong
·
Yakal
·
Narra
·
Tanguile
Hardwood is
best used in the construction of walls, ceilings, and floors. It is suitable
for high-quality furnishings, solid wood mouldings, and interior joinery. It is
denser than softwood, so it is more durable and stronger. Coco lumber, for
instance, is customary in the Philippines’ low-cost housing programme and other
government buildings. As it is widely used, coco lumber can be purchased not
only from local hardware stores but also online. Considering the slow growing
rate and longer drying times of hardwood, however, they cost more compared to
softwood.
Softwood
Softwood comes
from coniferous trees or those that have needles instead of leaves. Examples
include:
·
Pine wood
·
Cedar wood
·
Fir wood
·
Spruce wood
·
Hemlock wood
Softwood is
mainly used for inner structures to the frame of hardwoods, such as doors and
window frames. It is used for generating sheet goods such as plywood and
fibreboard. Since softwood is easily manipulated, flexible, and lighter, it has
a lower cost level compared to hardwood.
Regardless of type, wood is an
essential house construction material. Like its timeless charm, it will not be
removed from the list of construction materials that makes each home a better
place to live in.
