The Beauties of wood and engineered wood products

Throughout history, the unique characteristics and comparative abundance of wood have made it a natural material for homes and other structures, furniture, tools, vehicles, and decorative objects. Today, for the same reasons, wood is prized for a multitude of uses.

The inherent factors that keep wood in the forefront of raw materials for furniture making and carpentry amidst other competitive materials are many and varied, but a chief attribute is its availability in many species, sizes, shapes, and conditions to suit almost every demand. Other remarkable attributes that keep wood as a choice material include;

• Its unique physical features lavished with various beautiful colours, figures and grain arrangements.
• its low energy requirements for production compared to other materials
• Its sustainability and renewability
• Its low cost of production
• Its environmental friendliness
• Its ease of workability

These attributes are endless. Indeed wood is a blessing to humanity.

Also for environmental sustainability over the years, several technologies have been employed for the maximum and sustainable utilization of wood through the use of other hybrid products of woods generally called engineered wood products. With the wide use of these engineered wood products, our forest and woody trees will be sustainably utilized and conserved for future generations.

Engineered wood products
are also called composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured wood products, this includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding or fixing the strands, particles, fibers, or veneers or boards of wood, together with adhesives, or other methods of fixation to form composite materials. These products are engineered to precise design specifications which are tested to meet national or international standards. Engineered wood products are used in a variety of applications, from home construction, furniture making to commercial buildings to industrial products. The products can be used for joists and beams that replace steel in many building projects, for floor tiles, wall cladding and other furniture works in place of solid wood.

Typically, engineered wood products are made from the same hardwoods and softwoods used to manufacture lumber. Sawmill scraps and other wood waste can be used for engineered wood composed of wood particles or fibers, but whole logs are usually used for veneers, such as plywood, medium density fibreboards (MDF) particle board. Some engineered wood products, like oriented strand board (OSB), can use less used wood species, a common but non-structural species.

Common Engineered wood products include;

Plywood, Particleboards, Oriented strand board (OSB), Glued laminated timber (glulam), Laminated veneer lumber (LVL), Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), Parallel strand lumber (PSL), Laminated strand lumber (LSL) etc.

Engineered wood products over the years has been widely used because of their numerous advantages over solid wood. This advantages include;

• Engineered wood offers real structural advantages for home construction. The insulation and air sealing that are a necessary part of a major home remodel, addition, or energy upgrade will make a home more comfortable and efficient.
• Because engineered wood is man-made, it can be designed to meet application-specific performance requirements.
• Engineered wood products are versatile and available in a wide variety of thicknesses, sizes, grades, and exposure durability classifications, making the products ideal for use in unlimited construction, industrial and home project application.
• Engineered wood products are designed and manufactured to maximize the natural strength and stiffness characteristics of wood. The products are very stable and some offer greater structural strength than typical wood building materials.
• Some engineered wood products offer more design options without sacrificing structural requirements.
• Engineered wood panels are easy to work with using ordinary tools and basic skills. They can be cut, drilled, routed, jointed, glued, and fastened. Plywood can be bent to form curved surfaces without loss of strength. And large panel size speeds construction by reducing the number of pieces to be handled and installed.
• Engineered wood products make more efficient use of wood. They can be made from small pieces of wood, wood that has defects or underutilized species.
• Engineered wood products provide the natural warmth and beauty of wood. Many products are available in a variety of surface textures and treatments for nearly every aesthetic taste, from rustic to elegant. The products can be easily and beautifully finished with paints, stains, and varnishes.
• Sustainable design advocates recommend using engineered wood, which can be produced from relatively small trees, rather than large pieces of solid dimensional lumber, which requires cutting a large tree.