No other material can match wood's unique combination
of benefits, including strength, affordability, ease of
use, and environmental superiority.
Wood-frame construction has a 100-year track record for
safety and dependability. That's why some nine out of 10
homes today are built with wood.
Building codes require all materials to provide the same
degree of protection, even for extreme events such as earthquakes
and hurricanes. Wood-frame construction is as safe, sturdy,
and dependable as any other building material.
Wood is the best insulator against heat and cold, which
makes it the most energy-efficient material that can help
keep energy bills in check. Unlike steel and concrete, wood
doesn't conduct heat and cold. Wood is 400 times less heat-conductive
than steel, so homes built with wood studs take less energy
to heat and cool.
Wood is the most affordable building material. The economy
of wood construction is one of the many reasons why wood-frame
construction has remained the preferred method for residential
construction.
Wood is easy to use and widely available. Its practicality
and workability make construction simple and efficient for
use in residential or commercial applications, including
multi-story projects.
As the world's only renewable building material, wood
can be recycled and regenerated. What's more, trees provide
benefits to the environment while they grow, taking in carbon
dioxide and releasing oxygen.
Wood contributes far fewer greenhouse gases during the
manufacturing process than its non-renewable counterparts,
steel and concrete. Although wood products make up 47% of
all raw materials made in the United States, the share of
energy consumed by wood products during production is only
4% of all manufactured materials.
