Used since the dawn of time, wood is a multifaceted material that alone includes more than 70,000 species, each of which has its own characteristics. It is a noble, durable, warm and timeless material that combines tradition and modernity. However, the scope of wood covers almost all aspects of living. Thus, it is used for construction, decoration, interior and exterior fittings… Close-up on wood.
Man and wood: a story dating back thousands of years
This story began just as the human race came into being. During this period, wood enabled one of man’s most important conquests: fire. Prehistoric men also used it to make everyday objects, including dishes, spoons, bows, traps… The use of wood in construction is also very old. The very first trace of wood-based habitat found in our territory dates back to the Lower Paleolithic .
Today, wood is almost everywhere in our homes, although other materials dominate the market for construction, furniture and decoration.
Softwoods
Softwoods are more precisely conifers with needles rather than traditional leaves. This family includes species that are popular for their flexibility, cost and versatility: fir, pine, larch, cedar, spruce and Douglas fir, among others. In all cases, it is used to make floors, interior furniture, terraces, etc.
One of the exceptions in the softwood category is Douglas fir. This one stands out because of its high density, which makes it one of the most widely used species in construction, particularly in carpentry.
Hardwoods
Hardwoods, on the other hand, are deciduous, which means that they lose their leaves in the fall. Wood species belonging to this category are denser and therefore harder. They display excellent wear and impact resistance, which makes them very attractive for frameworks and structures. Hardwoods are also very popular indoors. Among the most common
Other categories of wood
When talking about wood, it is difficult to overlook exotic woods : ebony, ipe, teak, doussié, iroko. The latter are quite different from their cousins because of their qualities, their very high density and their long lifespan. They are very aesthetic, rot-proof and brilliantly resist wear and bad weather. All this explains why they are the most expensive.
Wood in all its forms is undoubtedly one of the materials par excellence for furnishing , decoration ( interior and exterior) and layout ( interior and exterior). It finds its place everywhere in our homes, from the floor to the ceiling, through the walls, the partitions…
This natural material lends itself both to the creation of quality furniture and to the dressing of the different rooms of a house. Solid woods, in particular, are ideal as floor coverings and in damp rooms. Oak and spruce slats, etc., are recommended for walls. For the work plan, the stairs , the top of the dining table… wood exists for all tastes. Wood is obviously omnipresent in the construction sector. In this context, it is used in particular for the manufacture of the elements needed for the structure of a building : posts, beams, roofing, frames (roofing, floor, etc.), framework, half-timbering, lintels, joists, etc. In carpentry, it is used in the manufacture of interior and exterior openings such as doors, windows, bay windows, blinds, shutters, etc.
The benefits of wood
Although being robust by nature, the wood remains easy to work and can lend itself to all fantasies. Added to this is the diversity of veining, essences and colors which offers an infinite number of customization possibilities . That said, wood leaves a very wide field for the creativity of do-it-yourselfers, designers and architects. From wood, you can make any type of furniture and give life to any architectural style, simple or complex.
