Sustainable
As timber regenerates, it’s a renewable resource. This process of renewal is entirely sustainable as it can continue on indefinitely with no drain on the resources of the planet. As the vast majority of timber harvested for building purposes is from plantations and managed forests, the environment receives a net benefit from the use of timber as the number of plantations expands. Compared to every other building material timber is clearly the best environmental choice.
Carbon Neutral
Trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere throughout their lives and effectively recycle the carbon in the atmosphere. In doing so they capture and store carbon, helping restore balance to the atmosphere. When trees are logged almost all of this carbon is trapped within the timber forever. Despite requiring energy to log, process and deliver, the timber used for building captures more carbon than is used in its production and is, therefore, the only carbon-neutral building material.
Energy Used in Production
The energy used in a product’s entire lifecycle is significantly lower for timber than any other building material. Energy usage for extraction/harvesting, transport, manufacture and building show that alternative building materials eclipse timber in energy required by the following amounts: Bricks x 4, Concrete x 5, Glass x 6, Steel x 24 and Aluminium x 126.
Insulation
Timber has the best insulation properties of any common construction material. It is 5 times more effective than concrete, 10 times better than bricks and 350 times better than steel.
Source: Wood for Good
