Home Sweet Home

Although timber is a renewable, natural material we are using the resources at such an alarming rate that they may cease to be sustainable. The tropical rainforests are fast disappearing and, in the West, acid rain and the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers are damaging vast tracts of woodland. The practice, for commercial gain, of replacing slow-growing deciduous forests with the faster conifer plantations places increasing demands on the import of hardwood, and causes the degradation of the landscapes from which they come. And the demand is not only for construction and joinery timbers; we fell millions of trees annually for the production of woodpulp for paper and packaging materials.

We can help to conserve the dwindling supplies of timber by making better use of existingresources. We can reuse old construction timbers, purchase second-hand furniture, and recycle others; for interior use we can also use certain composite boards if they meet health and ecological criteria. Cork and linoleum are again popular and far healthier than their synthetic counterparts.

Cork

Made from the outer bark of the cork oak (Quercus suber) of southern Europe, compressed cork strips and granules are made into sheets, wall and floor tiles, and cork walicoverings. It is a natural, healthy material with good thermal- and noise-insulating properties. Cork is resistant to rot and moulds, hardwearing and elastic in texture, and its natural colour and grainy surface require little or no treatment except when used on floors. Always check with the supplier that tiles have not been treated with synthetics or vinyl backed. Corkboard insulation is available for roofs, floors, and walls. Smaller granules are used in the production of linoleum. Cork is asound ecological product, too. Not only does the cork oak regenerate itself after stripping, but all the bark is used without waste.

Linoleum

Linoleum is made from powdered cork, linseed oil, wood resin, and wood flour mixed with chalk and pressed on to a backing of hessian (burlap) or jute canvas. Linoleum has all the advantages and none of the disadvantages of PVC floor covering. It is strong and flexible and comes in sheets or tiles but it needs a firm, damp-proof surface, since moisture can rot the fabric backing. Avoid toxic petrochemical adhesives and use a wood lignin paste instead. You can use lignin paste for all cork products, too.

Rubber

The white, milky latex extracted from the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis), is known as “caoutchouc” in South America, its natural habitat. The British imported the tree to Malaysia and established huge rubber plantations prior to World War I. The latex is vulcanized with sulphur under heat and pressure to impart resilience and elasticity and to remove its odour and stickiness. Synthetics lack the strength of natural rubber, for which demand outstrips supplies. Latex is obtained from other sources, notably the guayule shrub (Parthenium argentatum) native to the southwestern states of the US. Rubber is tough and waterproof, and was a popular flooring material for bathrooms until it was replaced by plastics. It is still available in sheets and tiles, though some people have an allergic reaction.

Paper

The ancient Egyptians used the pithy stems of the papyrus reed to produce writing material, but it is the Chinese who are credited with the invention of paper, in the first century AD. Made principally from woodpulp, paper uses enormous amounts of precious timber resources in the form of newsprint, cardboard, and packaging materials. Northern Europe has traditionally produced most woodpulp, but now virgin rainforests are also being used. In the UK alone it is estimated that more than a million trees are used annually in paper and board production. And most of that is thrown out as waste that could be recycled, cutting the demand for fresh woodpulp by up to 30% and, just as important, energy costs by 40%. Some countries are beginning to accept their ecological responsibilities. In Scandinavia, local authorites are now legally obliged to collect household paper wastefor recycling. And there is no need to rely solely on woodpulp; paper production from other materials, such as bagasse (a sugar-cane residue), bamboo, mulberry bush, and esparto grass, all of whichyield fibres suitable for papermaking, could be stepped up so as to reduce the demand worldwide for woodpulp.

Composite boards

Waste timber and vegetable matter are used to make many composite boards. But in order to meet demand, much comes from fresh timber grown in already hard-pressed forests. The health risks due to formaldehyde, phenols, and adhesives added in manufacture also prejudices their use. Some manufacturers produce formaldehyde-free, or “low-enfltsion”, products, and if you use these with nontoxic adhesives they should not present a health problem.

Fibreboards

These are made from compressed and dried wood and vegetable fibres without the use of adhesives. They are available as hard or soft boards and as medium-density fibreboard (MDF). MDF, however, is usually treated with urea formaldehyde.

Plywood Both exterior- and interior- grade plywood is composed of several thin layers or veneers of wood bonded with glues that often contain phenol and urea formaldehyde.

Blockboard

This product is similar to plywood in composition, but it is made up of a core of blocks of wood.

Particle board is a nonspecific term covering such products as chipboard, flaxboard, and bagasse board.

Chipboard

consists of wood chips blended with synthetic resins and pressed into sheets. Flaxboard is made from particles from the residues of the linen industry and bagasse board is obtained as a byproduct of the sugar industry. Particle boards are known to give off formaldehyde and can be a serious health risk.

Timber treatment

Properly seasoned timber can last for hundreds of years. But it is prone to moulds and to fungal decay, encouraged by damp conditions, and to attacks by wood-boring beetles and termites, which, in Australia and the US, can demolish whole timber constructions. Hardwoods, such as oak and teak, are generally resistant to water and to insect attacks. Softwoods, except for redwood (Sequoia species), are more susceptible. Building authorities often insist that timber is impregnated with a preservative containing highly toxic insecticides and fungicides. The most common treatments may include lindane, pentachlorophenol (PCP), and dieldrin, although these will vary from country to country.

When you buy an older house, or build a new one, it is usually a condition of the finance company that structural timbers and floorboards are treated with an “approved”, and highly toxic, preservative. The alternative and safe approach is first to ensure that all timber is kept dry or, if it becomes wet, that it dries out as soon as possible by eliminating the source of the problem. Sensible constructional techniques and detailing will go a long way to avoiding trouble — wide roof overhangs, waterproof membranes, good ventilation, and drip edges, for example.

Central heating will keep internal wood dry and deny wood beetle larvae the conditions they need to live. Termite infestations can be avoided by elevating the structure on steel supports (if building from new) and using foundation shields and grooves. These measures will greatly increase the durability of timber and reduce the need for additional protection from toxic preservatives.

If necessary, you can use safer, yet effective, treatments — borax, soda (sodium carbonate), potash, linseed oil, and beeswax. Painting timbers with natural resin-oil stains, varnishes, and paints will also help. If you must use toxic products, move out until all vapours have dispersed.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
How Much Timber Contributes to Your House

• Knowing your own House space continue...
• Master of Guide part D
• Take Care Your Home Fabrics Part 2
• Window Dressing (Fabric)
• Take Care Your Home Fabrics Part 3
• Master of Guide part A
• Good storage of dealing with Domestic Clutter, how to Build Decorative Shelves easily ways to go up the wall
• Household Master of Guide part G (Fabric, Blind, Shed, Window Decor)
• Natural House Natural Fibres continue...
• Good Storage of dealing with Domestic Clutter/ Gift / Collection, guide to Build Decorative Shelves (Bookcases and Alcoves)