Wooden House with Attic and Garage Dy-D-045

Advantages of Wooden House

1. Exceptional Insulator & Energy Saver

Some building materials such as steel, inorganic materials which are non-combustible, expand when heated which can weaken and collapse the structure. Wood reacts in an almost opposite manner to this. When heated (not excessively to a combustible temperature of course), wood dries and actually becomes even harder.

Let’s make some comparisons here. Glass conducts heat 23 times faster than wood, marble 90 times faster, steal 1650 times faster and aluminum a whopping 7000 times faster.

This means less energy ‘leakage’ from a home. If you want the warmth (or coolness) to remain in your home, and you want to spend less money on heating (or cooling), wood is a tremendous alternative to brick, concrete or stone. Compared to other construction materials, wood, economically is a star child of insulation.

 2. Quick to Build: Saves Money

When compared with brick, stone or concrete, wood constructions certainly do save time, and inherently with that come savings in labor. This is especially applicable in harsh weather conditions such as heavy rain, snow and icy conditions, where wood construction can continue without hindrance. It has also been said from a builder friend of mine that plans for wooden structures are easier to follow than brick, concrete or using steel frames (feel free to comment on this in the comments section as I don’t know the validity of this comment).

Wood-framed houses enable easy modifications during and after the building process and it’s because of the ease, versatility and cost effectiveness which makes it such a popular and inexpensive choice. Insulated concrete form homes (ICF) can be costly, troublesome and time consuming to alter post build.

3. Environmentally Friendly

Green is the big thing these days so of course this is going to be a big feature in this article. Houses made from trees are sustainable, renewable and environmentally friendly. Did you know that wooden structures absorb and store atmospheric CO2 and that wood, even taking into account haulage, is carbon neutral (in fact, it’s the only carbon neutral construction material).

4. Aesthetically Acrobatic

With over 5000 different woods to choose from, there is absolutely going to be something that’ll suit ones construction or design desires. Some woods are ideal for insulation, some for acoustics, grain, color, appearance, and others for structural frames, walls, floors, ceilings and furniture.

In my personal opinion, the grain on a piece of wood is one of the most mesmerizing beauties in the natural world, where different hues of color and textures roll back into each other like an enchanting dance. I’m not over embellishing it either. Some of the most breath taking architectural designs are wood centered.

Wood can be painted in any color and can be waxed and varnished which’ll brandish its natural finesse. It can be carved, cut, glued and nailed.

6. Safe, Light, Sturdy & Durable

One of the many reasons why wood is still used today, despite huge strides in engineering excellence, is its durability weight and safety. Wood has a little bit of give in it which means it can bend slightly, which is a property which bricks don’t have. Therefore, if the foundations shift slightly, the wooden home can flex and move with the change rather than crack. Even the smallest shift in the foundations of a brick house will case cracks to appear in the mortar (not a good look).

7. Water Resistant

While many woods soak in moisture and water, causing them to swell, there are some varieties of wood which are highly water resistant.

8. Healthy & Natural

Electrostatic charge: This is a big deal for some people as electrostatic changes are believed to be unhealthy to some degree

If a room is finished with an uncoated wood, it’ll help regulate the humidity which could aid in helping people with respiratory sensitivity. Not only does it regulate humidity, just the mere look of wood can sooth one’s mind and relax the nervous system. Just make sure the humidity doesn’t make the wood too moist, otherwise that static electricity benefit could be thrown out the window.

For these reasons, wood is deemed to be a healthy choice over metal, plastic and other materials.

9. Acoustically Sound

Even though wood doesn’t act as a perfect sound insulator, it does prevent echoes from bouncing around the room by absorbing sound waves. When compared to its constructive competitors, wood proves to be much more effective at sound insulation, especially when it comes to insulating between different rooms.

Wood is also used in many concert halls around the world as it naturally dampens sound, creating that perfect tone within the room.