Are you familiar with the concept of sustainable wood? For most people, the answer would be a confused look and a solid “No.” Most people have certainly heard of wood itself, since it’s used to construct pretty much everything, from houses to commercial buildings to furniture. However, sustainable wood is a fairly new concept, though it’s starting to gain some traction in the world of custom eco friendly home construction. If you’re looking to build a home in the near future, and are interested in making it as green as possible, you may want to consider using sustainable wood for construction. Read on to learn all about what sustainable wood is and what it has to offer.

So, What Is Sustainable Wood?

The source of sustainable wood lies predominantly in what is referred to as sustainable forests. These forests are specially cared for by professionals who work to ensure the living things within the forest’s range are able to live for as long as possible and weather all kinds of damages. Compare this to the average forest, such as the situation with the Amazon, which frequently suffers from its resources being used far faster than they can be replenished.

This isn’t the case with a sustainable forest, or sustainable wood. Should the wood of your home be damaged, you can easily find a replacement and won’t have to worry about harming the tree or tree species it’s produced from. In turn, you will also be able to better support the environment simply by choosing a wood source guaranteed to exist long enough to help combat negative environmental effects.

Types of Sustainable Wood You Can Choose From

You can work with a residential structural engineer to ensure you use only sustainable wood for your home—but how do you know the wood you’ve chosen really is sustainable? Here’s a brief list of some of the most common types of sustainable wood:

• White Oak can be found throughout the eastern United States, and is well-known for its resilience. You can find it in many different shades. It is best and most commonly used for floors and kitchen furniture, such as countertop bases and cabinets.
  

• White Ash’s claim to fame lies with the US’s favorite pastime: baseball! Most baseball bats are in fact made from white ash, which is why it’s considered a home run among residential structural engineers. Outside of the baseball field, you can find white ash as furniture pieces—especially the more intricate varieties. It is quite flexible and easy to shape. White ash generally hails from central and eastern parts of the country.
  

• Maple’s not just for sourcing your favorite pancake topping! It’s a favorite among contract engineering services due to its extreme flexibility. It comes not just in a variety of colors, but also strengths. Found all across the United States, maple wood is commonly converted into the most functional parts of the home, from the flooring to the paneling to your built-in kitchen furnishings.

• Rescued lumber can be pulled from other, pre-existing buildings, such as old barns, that were originally crafted through heavy timber construction. Professionals can save the wood from these abandoned structures and recycle them through the construction of your property. This is yet another great, green method of gathering necessary lumber.

Now that you know a little more about sustainable wood, why not consider implementing it into your home construction or renovation? Our team at B.E. Structural can help you learn more about this important material, as well as help you decide which species of wood is best for your home needs. Feel free to contact us to learn more today!