| |
|
|
Wood Uses & Advantages In the last decade, alternative building materials have begun to gain prominence in the marketplace due to environmental concerns, durability issues, and misconceptions about the consequences of building with wood. The fact is untreated wood has huge environmental benefits over other building materials. It is completely biodegradable, serves as a great insulator, uses less energy to process than steel, concrete, aluminum, or plastic, and is 100% renewable.
Wood has been used for thousands of years as a building material for homes, bridges, fences, barns, and furniture. Building with wood is cost effective, aesthetically pleasing, and environmentally responsible . To see recent examples of stunning interior wood design, please browse our Awards Gallery. For more information, please visit the following links: California Forest Products - Wood vs. Other Materials |
|
Recent certification
programs in the U.S. and internationally have also begun addressing consumer's
environmental concerns by certifying forests that are sustainably harvested.
Organizations such as the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable
Forestry Initiative offer forest certification programs that allow forest
products to be tracked from their specific origins to the consumer. In
addition, the U.S. Green Building Council has established the LEED building
program that certifies buildings constructed using "greener" products
and processes. These organizations and others have helped consumers become
informed about the environmental footprint left by the products we use
everyday.
