Environmental

Timber is considered as being a more ‘environmentally friendly' building material than all the other materials presently available. There are a number of reasons for this:

Natural

Timber is a natural building material produced in our forests. Trees absorb solar energy from the sun and with the use of water, carbon dioxide and chlorophyll as a catalyst, convert it to cellulose (wood). This conversion process, known as photosynthesis, results in the release of oxygen and purification of the atmosphere.

Renewable

Timber is a renewable resource. It does not exist in limited quantities, rather it is constantly forming and growing. If managed sustainably, it is capable of continuing to meet our needs, now and in the future.

Reusable

Timber is easy to work with and does not involve the use of a lot of energy in comparison to other materials. Over its ‘lifetime’ a piece of timber can have many uses.

Biodegradable

After it has served its use/s, timber can be disposed of without damaging the environment. In fact, when it returns to the environment, it often enriches it with nutrients formed from the breakdown of cellulose.

Energy efficient

When converting wood from raw material to a useable product, timber is very energy-efficient. In fact, it is more efficient in its conversion process than any other comparable building material. One study revealed that the production of a tonne of timber requires only 435 KW hours of electrical energy, whereas a tonne of steel needs 3780 KW hours and a tonne of aluminium requires 20,169 KW hours!

Natural insulator

Timber is the best natural insulator for our buildings, helping to keep them warm in winter and cool in summer. It’s a standard building material all over the world, in both arctic and tropical countries. Its superb insulating properties mean that less non-renewable fuel is needed for heating and cooling.

Timber reduces the Greenhouse Effect

Forests help to reduce the level of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, because they use and store carbon to make woody tissue and leaves. This helps to purify our air. Additionally, when different sources of building materials are being manufactured, large amounts of energy are required and fossil fuels burnt, resulting in carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. By managing forests for timber production and using that timber for building materials, we can help to protect our climate.

For further information on certification:

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
• Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC)
• Australian Forestry Standard (AFS)