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Timber is one of the three main materials used to make the structural components used in building construction today. The other two structural materials are concrete and steel. The best way to understand why timber continues to be used as a structural material despite the availability of newer, non-timber alternatives is to delve into its advantages.

Continue reading on to find out why people still use timber for today's structures.

Timber has excellent ecological attributes.

Timber is an environmentally friendly choice of structural material for your project in a variety of ways. To start with, it is a natural thermal insulator, meaning it can increase the energy efficiency of your building greatly and lead to long-term savings on energy and energy costs.

Secondly, it helps to lock up some of the carbon gases present in the air. Like other plants, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it for growth. When trees are felled and used to build structures, the timber stores carbon for as long as the structures stand. This helps to reduce harmful greenhouse emissions in the long run.

Structural timber also has a lower embodied energy than steel and concrete, meaning less energy is required to transform it into a finished product. This material weighs less than equivalent steel and concrete, hence it is easier to handle during manufacture, transport, and construction. This helps to preserve planet Earth's fast-depleting energy resources. Moreover, the timber offers the advantage of being recyclable at the end of its structural lifespan. This reduces the need to fell healthy trees in order to meet fresh demand for wood products.

If you care about the effect your construction project will have on the environment, structural timber is a great choice of material to build with.

Timber is locally and abundantly available.

Compared to other structural materials like steel and concrete, the raw materials used to make structural timber components (trees) are abundantly available in most regions. This makes structural timber relatively more sustainable and inexpensive to build with. It is the perfect choice for anyone looking to build a durable structure on a tight budget.

Timber can be easily shaped and modified.

Unlike structural concrete and steel, which need to be made to precise shapes and measurements, structural timber can be cut to size and shape at the construction site using a standard saw. This allows builders to make modifications to the design of their structures without returning sub-assembly parts to an off-site factory. 

Structural timber can provide many other benefits to building owners and contractors alike. For more information on this construction material, contact a structural timber supplier in your area.