Also called manufactured or composite wood, it's a green building material in two senses. First, since it uses scrap wood from sawmills and used wood (pallets, demolished buildings, etc.), it's reducing waste in the landfill.
Secondly, because it uses repurposed material, it reduces tree harvesting, deforestation, and all the energy expenditure associated with cutting timber and transporting it to the sawmill processing facility. With any home renovation or repair project, it pays to have a look at this material.
Benefits of Manufactured Wood
- Because of the manufacturing process, this building material can be made to more exacting specifications than fresh-cut wood. It's also free of many natural anomalies, such as knots, soft spots, burls, and splits.
- Smaller or stunted trees as well as wood scraps can be used.
- Many products are less likely to warp from high humidity conditions. Particle board is an exception to this rule.
Disadvantages of Engineered Wood
Unfortunately, there are some disadvantages with this product. They include -
- Some of the adhesives used in the bonding process may be toxic.
- Cutting the material may require workers to use PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as respirators when cutting to avoid inhaling any potential toxins.
- In some cases, more energy is required in the production process than is required in producing conventional lumber. Bear in mind that production uses far less energy than either the production of concrete or steel, so the home's or project's overall material list must be factored in.
Where is Engineered Wood Used?
It's used in many places nowadays. For example -
- I-Joists - Both ceiling and floor joists are prime candidates. Joists benefit from the strict adherence to specified dimensions, strength, and trueness of the planks. Currently, they are being used in both residential and light commercial building.
- Glulam – Glue Laminated timber beams are simply wood laminations bonded together with high-strength, waterproof glue. The exceptional strength that results make it ideal for spanning long distances.
- OSB – Oriented Strand Board. Many people think of OSB as a plywood, but it's really not. It has the same sheet shape, but rather than using laminations, it uses wood strands, which are rectangular in shape. These are assembled in cross-oriented layers and bonded together with heat-cured, waterproof adhesives.
- APA Rated Siding – Composite wood is used in a variety of siding products. According to the Engineered Wood Association, "A single layer of rack-resistant panel siding delivers an attractive exterior appearance while eliminating the labor and materials cost of installing separate structural sheathing or diagonal wall bracing." That's certainly a consideration when building a home addition.
Kelly Smith - Kelly has over 30 years experience as a journeyman carpenter and 20 as a freelance writer and photographer.
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