Environmentally Friendly Construction

Environmentally Friendly Construction

Often overlooked in construction is the incredibly versatile and environmentally friendly use of Timber. Sustainable planting of forests across the world now supply much of the worlds timber requirements and for multiple uses, notwithstanding the biggest use of timber which is in construction.

In the UK we have been obsessed with using brick construction, probably down to the heavily regulated construction guidelines in the UK, but these attitudes are changing now, and the versatility of timber in construction is well documented and proven by aspirational architecture we now see in some of our modern housing.

Timber also attracts an element of natural beauty to a property, and as a renewable resource it is light, strong, warm and welcoming to live with. High in performance, light in weight, and comes with excellent load bearing and thermal properties.

The drive towards zero carbon houses is now gaining in momentum, and with 40% of all carbon emissions coming from buildings, timber can contribute significantly with the carbon reduction targets now in place.

Some interest eco facts around timber:

• Every 1 cubic metre of timber absorbs 1 tonne of CO2.
• Timber energy is CO2 neutral with only what has been absorbed returning back to the atmosphere
• Very little waste in manufacturing, as the bi-product or off-cuts can be used for energy generation, i.e., biomass power.
• 100% recyclable and renewable

The popular myth is using timber to build a house or any form of structure is damaging to our natural forests, but in reality the world has gone a very long way in providing a sustainable method of planting more than we are using. There are now many government initiatives for reforestation, which in turn provides a sustainable and effective use of timber in construction.

At Elite Trees we recycle our timber in many ways, whether woodchip for the garden, firewood for burners, high quality timber for wood turners or our larger pieces for construction. It is important to us that the life and use of a tree that we may have unfortunately had to remove is continued as part of a sustainable process.

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