Wood Looks Warm and Is Good Insulation
Wood, one of the world’s oldest building materials, is aging well.
Processes to improve its wearing and weathering qualities and a new appreciation of its natural insulating qualities contribute to its continued popularity as building and remodeling material.
The trade association for makers of wood windows and doors as well as suppliers of pressure-treated wood for outdoor use both report healthy and growing sales, despite the fact that housing starts dropped in 1988.
“Because of its honeycomb-shaped cell structure, wood is a natural thermal insulator containing a high percentage of insulating-rich air within the wood fibers,” said John W. Shoemaker of the National Wood Window and Door Assn., which reported a 20% rise in sales last year.
The association’s research on wood doors showed that wood expands and contracts less than steel during temperature changes, thus maintaining a tighter fit with weatherstripping.
Wood’s aesthetic quality also contributes to its popularity, Shoemaker said.
Woods to be used outdoors, in decks and patios, are in higher demand because more Americans spend leisure time outdoors. According to a Better Homes and Gardens Consumer Panel survey, 50% say they are doing more entertaining outdoors.
“Americans are snatching up new products that help to create more interesting and useful outdoor environments where they spend their time,” says John Cashmore, Weyerhaeuser LifeWood Program manager.
Among these are pre-turned mill work in a variety of styles that can be used in building decks and other structures. Decorative spindles, railings, lattice panels, finials and posts have notches and grooves that make assembly easy.
The most durable woods probably are those treated under pressure with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) to resist fungus, mildew and termites. CCA penetrates the wood, creating a molecular bond that prevents leaching and chemical seepage.
Some care is needed in handling pressure-treated wood, which has come under Environmental Protection Agency scrutiny for potential hazards due to the arsenic.
The agency advises sawing the wood outdoors, wearing a dust mask, washing thoroughly before eating, drinking or smoking, and washing work clothes separately. It also advises users of pressure-treated wood to dispose of scraps by burial or in a landfill, instead of burning them. The agency recommends not using the wood for in kitchens, livestock feeders or food storage projects.
Treated wood needs some maintenance, including cleaning and preserving, to protect against weathering.
A deck cleaner such as Cuprinol’s Revive can be used to pretreat wood before staining or preserving. You can also use a 50/50 solution of household bleach and water. Then apply stains or preservatives.
