If you are interested in wood products like furniture, panelling, or flooring, the chances are you’re interested in the types of wood out there that you can use for these things. Timber patios and decking, for example, are becoming more and more popular for different types of homes. Some of the little known facts that we found out about the timber industry as a whole.
Some of these things may make you glad that you’re using wood, and others will be completely surprised! In fact, using what is actually really good for the environment. However only if it’s harvested correctly. Understanding the best way to harvest timber will help you to feel good about using an ethical solution for your furniture or your decking. The good news is that there are more ways to ensure that you are getting legally harvested trees for your timber. Let’s take a look at some of the fun facts that you didn’t know about the timber industry.
Lumber DNA Testing
Lumber can be DNA tested. We recently learned that they’re not ways that you can make sure that the wood the business uses has been cut down legally. There is such a thing as illegal tree cutting. Therefore you want to ensure that the wood that you use is cut down ethically. The lumber that you buy can be DNA tested, and this ensures that it’s from groves which are legal to harvest. Obviously, companies can’t keep cutting down trees without permission and without boundaries.
While it’s a great idea that lumber can be DNA tested, there is still more that needs to be done. This test can be expensive and DNA samples have to be taken from established legal forestry sites. This ensures that the results can be correctly matched. Given that there is currently a $30 million illegal logging industry happening. You’ll be able to feel good about the word that you are buying.
Plantation forestry workers will be overseeing the entire life cycle of the trees. From farming the seeds to grow the trees into huge natural phenomena. Plantation forestry workers are now able to oversee all of this themselves. The companies answer individuals looking to buy ethical wood. It can be interesting to learn that it’s one set of workers looking over the trees that you are planning to use timber from.
Forest Area
Australia has the seventh largest forest area of any country. If you are looking at investing in timber for your business or for your home, it can help to know that Australia has the second largest forest area of any country. This means you are able to get local and sustainable wood that you know has been in the same forests and families for a long time. These trees will be cut down ethically, giving you the peace of mind that you need that your timber has been harvested sustainably.
Sustainability has a spotlight in the forestry industry. Every single part of the timber industry is striving for better sustainability. With each step of the harvesting process, businesses are doing better and better than ever before. If you are looking to buy harvested timber, it can help to ask the company where the word has come from. Further questioning what methods are used to harvest it in the first place.
Environmental Impact
Cutting down trees can actually help the environment. There have been articles posted with the American Forest Resource Council that show that the forest industries desire to take a more active role in old growth from forest can actually help reduce our carbon footprint. The same forestry group proposes to be able to increase the level of carbon credit points. They can then sell these to other industries that are bigger polluters they can use those credits. The wilderness society has issues with this, but cutting down trees can actually help the environment. As long as they are harvested sustainably and correctly. Legal forestry is a must, and the timber industry is going to thrive better when this happens.
Cutting down trees can help with fire control. Every year in Australia local forestry experts will cut back trees in certain areas to be able to manage and contain emergency fires. Controlled burning has happened for many generations. This is dating back to when Aboriginal folks were first in Australia. Controlled burning to prevent the spreading of wildfires works as it proposes a boundary along the tree lines that the fire cannot cross. Cutting down trees can help with fire control, and if you are concerned about this you should speak to your local forestry experts.
Australian Forest Industry
The Australian forestry industry works with emergency services every year. Timber industry the forestry experts will work with other agencies during emergencies for controlled burning. These forests are not just big but down – it’s fully planned.
Engineered wood in the timber industry is termite resistant. When the wood is engineered, it goes through a process that prevents termites from destroying it. You may not have known that this happens in the timber industry. Although it’s one way to help wood to last longer and not become delicious to the bugs and other critters!
Engineered wood is so strong it’s comparable to steel. Steel, is a metal that is very tough. Engineered wood that has been treated correctly can be just as tough and strong, making for excellent options for furniture and decking.
Wrapping Up
The forest industry is becoming more mainstream. As the timber industry improves, mills have seen setbacks with availability. Harvesting and managing forests can help, and not managing those forests makes for larger and more devastating fires. Popular opinion has been slow to agree here. However if you look up more information about the timber industry, you’ll be able to see that mills are losing their availability as the timber industry improves.
To learn more about the timber industry, contact us today for a chat!
