10 crazy facts about wood
As we all know wood comes from trees and that’s all the vast majority of us seem to know! However, there are lots of other crazy facts about wood and we thought we would share them with you.
Some trees can communicate with one another! Yes, you heard it right! When Willows are threatened by pests such as insects – they emit a chemical warning to trees nearby who secrete more tannin to put the invaders off. Threes are smarter than we all think!
Trees never actually die of old age! Trees are only killed by certain elements outside of their control such as diseases, people or insects. That’s why certain trees live well over one thousand years old!
In North America the shade and windproofing that trees produce reduce annual cooling and heating costs by a huge $2.1 billion. As you can see, they are useful when they are living and planted in the ground and also when they’re being used to make furniture and home build.
It’s a fact that wood floats in water, but it’s not entirely true. To sink in water, the specific gravity of the wood has to be 1.00 or more.
Not all trees grow up strong and big. The World’s shortest tree is called a Dwarf Willow, which is located in the Arctic Tundra regions and rarely grows more than a couple of inches tall!
The mighty General Sherman, a Giant Sequoia, is thought by many to be the best living organism on the Globe at a jaw-dropping 274 foot-high and 104 foot-wide!
There are over 23,000 different types of species of trees in the World! Quite staggering when you think about it.
The terms hardwood and softwood describe the seeds, leaves and the structure of the trees rather than the actual type of wood they produce. So, the next time you pick up a piece of timber and think it’s a softwood because well it’s soft - think again!
When you think of a metal house vs a wooden house you can assure that the wooden house will be warmer. But just how much warmer well, wood is over 400 times warmer than steel. This is down to the fact that wood is an effective natural insulator with significant thermal mass properties. This helps to retain heat from the day and releases it at night. Perfect for building houses with!
Also, as timber is considered carbon-negative, it’s been officially confirmed by a host or international studies that the timber construction is an environmentally responsible way to build.
Bonus point
Well over 70% of the developed world lives in a timber-framed house – there’s a reason why timber is such a popular choice!
So that’s it!
For all your timber requirements please speak to Wood Lane Timber on 0115 964 0888 or email sales@woodlanetimber.co.uk.