Wood has always been one of the most versatile materials available for thousands of years. Dating back to the Stone Age, wood was used to manufacture houses for up to 30 people, and even now, it is used to help ensure buildings are structurally sound. With only stone being used across a similar timeframe, it has always been useful and might well be for the foreseeable future.
Why is it so useful?
Whether it is for general DIY purposes or as part of an industrial project, lumber can be vital to ensuring a job can be done to some degree of success. Fence panels, housing support beams, or even just your bed frame can be made using lumber, showing that it can be adapted for any possible need. Have a look around your house, and it probably won’t take very long to find something that has been made from either hard or softwood, be it the living room door or even the framework for your sofa. It is used on a daily basis for even the smallest purposes, but it is incredibly useful as you can make it into literally anything that you want, whether through businesses or by your own hand. The market for it is colossal, too, with 823 million acres of trees being chopped down for timber each year, supporting an industry that generates $288 billion in sales and manufacturing each year. It sounds absurd, but it’s certainly very profitable.
Environmentally friendly
Better still, it is the most easily renewable resource in America, making it more environmentally friendly and shrinking the carbon footprint due to the reduction in carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. It is almost carbon neutral, as the energy used to burn wood equates to what would be absorbed for photosynthesis, making it far less damaging than fossil fuels. Edrich Lumber has been working this way since 1962, and with the largest lumber mill in Baltimore County creating 4 million board feet of lumber each year, it promises to inspire long-term success and sustainability. Being environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient is vital for many businesses nowadays, as it means products will always be readily available. Woodlands are constantly replanted as part of the long-term plan to maintain forests and hopefully counteract some of the more damaging effects of deforestation.
What can they be used for?
With so many different varieties, people are spoilt for choice in the world of construction, ranging from hardwoods such as Balsawood, Oakwood, and Ashwood, to softer varieties in Pinewood, Redwood and Cedar. Harder woods tend to be used when it comes to building sturdy items, such as cabinets, furniture, flooring, and even boats. Your softer variant, however, is more likely to be involved with the manufacturing of doors, window frames, and roofs due to its durability under severe weather conditions. These uses show why wood is so popular and continues to be used so freely in such a strong and affluent industry.
