How to Choose Environmentally Friendly Timber

Industrial & Manufacturing Blog

Starting a woodworking or building project? Trying to make environmentally friendly choices about your timber? Then let these tips guide you in the right direction.

1. Consider Salvaged Timber

Timber that has been salvaged — meaning logged from forests that have been affected by disasters such as forest fires — can be an extremely environmentally friendly option. In most cases, this timber comes from areas that are already decimated, and that means you don't' have to worry about virgin growth forests being cut down.

In addition, when loggers remove the timber from these areas, that reduces the future fire risk. Without removal, that timber can act like tinder and help a fire to get going. Additionally, removing old growth creates more room for natural propagation, and finally, removing dead timber, in particular, can halt the spread of invasive insects.

2. Choose Local Timbers

Whether you opt for timber that has been salvaged and logged for farmed timber or for timber from any other type of situation, try to stick with a local source.

The further timber has to be transported, the more fuels are wasted in the process. With almost any purchase, buying local tends to be more environmentally friendly than buying from far flung locations.

3. Opt for as Little Treatment as Possible

Depending on how you are using the timber, it may have some treatments. For example, timber used in outdoor applications may be treated with insecticides as well as weather-proofing chemicals. Similarly, timber used in internal framing may have fire retardants sprayed on it.

However, if you're making a cedar chest, for example, that timber may not need any treatments. Investigate how your wood has been treated, and opt for the lowest levels of additives that work in your situation.

Those chemicals can be harmful for the earth in many cases, and avoiding them is the environmentally healthy option.

4. Look into Repurposed Timber

You can also use recycled timber. This is timber that has been taken from an old home, a dilapidated barn or any other source, and then, it is refinished so it can be used again.

With this option, you don't have to worry about reforestation or similar issues. In fact, if there weren't a market for this timber, it would just be thrown into a landfill to rot.

For other tips and ideas on choosing environmentally friendly timber, contact a timber specialist today. They can help you find timber that's in line with your environmental beliefs. 

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1 May 2017

John's Industrial and Manufacturing Blog

Welcome to my piece of the internet. My name is John, and I imagine you found this blog while looking for information about industrial or manufacturing concepts. I recently decided to start this blog because I needed somewhere that I could share my research. I recently moved to a small town, and I'm trying to attract factory owners to set up shop there. As a result, I have done an immense amount of research into these fields. I figure the more I know the easier it will be to pitch our town to business owners. Anyway, this blog is a separate project to that. It's just a space where I want to share tips and ideas related to manufacturing. I love writing, and I hope that you enjoy reading my posts. More importantly, I hope they help you make your business more productive. Thanks for reading!