Is Wood the Best House Construction Material?

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.