Structurally Sound
Wood has long been the preferred construction material for many building types in
North America, whether wood-frame construction, post and beam construction, or log
and timber frame structures.
- Building in wood is fast and efficient. Wood buildings can be erected year-round
in most climates. This makes wood an attractive alternative for many building types.
- Wood construction is flexible. Walls are adjusted easily. Renovations and changes to
floor plans for changing uses and needs are achieved inexpensively.
- In low-rise construction applications, no other building material provides greater
safety and protection against earthquakes than wood.
- Wood is a natural insulator and delivers far better thermal performance than other
building materials. Wood buildings use less energy because they are easy to insulate
to high standards. And designers are choosing to build with wood because new, innovative
technologies make it possible to create intricate wood structures that minimize a building's
heating and cooling needs.
- While residential and low-rise multi-family housing has been the traditional backbone of
wood frame construction, builders increasingly prefer wood for commercial buildings, public
and recreational facilities, and industrial buildings, as a green building material.
British Columbia's geographic and climatic diversity allow it to produce a range of
products. This is backed by leading-edge building and product expertise, including
solutions for affordable housing that are being shared with developing countries
around the world.
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Residential Construction
Almost all single-family homes in North America are built with wood – from foundation
forming and framing systems to flooring and roofing, exterior cladding and interior
finishing. Builders and homeowners in other parts of the world are turning to wood as
they learn more about the safety, comfort, affordability and environmental benefits of
wood homes.
Wood is often used for applications such as structural framing, flooring, roofing and
stairs in low-rise, multi-family housing such as townhouses, apartment buildings and
condominium homes. Developers prefer wood construction because it is faster and more
efficient, speeds up occupancy and generates revenue sooner.
The use of wood for interior flooring, finishing, trim and cabinetry is regarded as a
sign of quality in homes.
For example, wood flooring is considered a selling feature of homes, as wood floors add
beauty and warmth, are easier to maintain than carpets and do not attract dust and mites.
Wood is also used in outdoor applications on single-family homes, such as stairs, railings,
decking and fences. Properly treated, such exterior wood applications can last for years,
providing beauty and added market value to homes.
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Commercial, Public & Recreational Construction
Wood is ideal for any high-use commercial or public building – it is versatile, durable
and resilient; and wood buildings are comfortable and safe. Heavy timber framing contributes
to the appeal and comfort of large-span recreation centres, community halls and school
gymnasiums, and is easy to maintain over the long term.
Modular wood buildings can be erected rapidly to create large and complex wood buildings
like factories and warehouses. Recent advancements in British Columbia lumber and engineered
wood products deliver superior structural strength, an important consideration where heavy
loads, such as factory lifting equipment, are anticipated.
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Structural Wood Products
British Columbia companies manufacture dimensional lumber for wood-frame construction in a
variety of sizes to use in wall framing, flooring systems, roof trusses, and exterior
applications, as well as structural wood such as plywood and oriented strandboard (OSB).
They also produce a variety of solid timbers typically used for post-and-beam construction,
as well as columns (posts) and beams that include built-up lumber (nail-laminated) beams,
glue-laminated timber (glulam beams), parallel strand lumber (PSL), laminated veneer lumber
(LVL), girder trusses and wood I-joists.
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Engineered Wood Products
Increasingly, builders are using engineered wood products such as glulam, LVL, PSL, OSB,
plywood, I-joists and I-beams, and roof trusses, for building joists, beams, studs, and
window and door frames. Engineered wood products are very stable and offer greater structural
strength than typical wood building materials. They can be used for joists and beams that
replace steel in many building projects.
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Sources
Canadian Wood Council, www.cwc.ca
Council of Forest Industries, www.cofi.org
Certiwood, www.certiwood.com
FP Innovations, www.fpinnovations.ca