Eco-Friendly Wood Options for Building Different Parts of Your Home

sink options from Kraus

Adding wood to a home can signify luxury, taste, and a warm environment. Doors, floors, and walls see a lot of woodwork to give a room its desired dose of a country, modern, or relaxed vibe. Still, too wide varieties sometimes make picking one specific type challenging and feeling satisfying. If you plan to renovate your home or build a new house, you can explore the wide-ranging sustainable wood options that help you reduce your carbon footprint— forests are the primary source of sustainable wood type. Cutting certain trees in the forests is a part of the preservation process. For instance, it helps protect native plantations from invasive species. 

Eco homes don’t need to be dull just because you use sustainable wood. In truth, these wood types can equally contribute to your home’s aesthetics. Nevertheless, you get nine varieties: white ash, white oak, beechwood, poplar, black cherry, alder, and more. With these responsibly sourced materials, you can expect your interiors to enjoy a dramatic vibe. And you may spend less on these than those readymade products. So, let’s delve into a few specific types and their traits.

White oak

Do you know what makes this wood special? It is affordable if you need a strong wood material to combat rotting problems. You can stain it in different pigments to experiment with various looks. This North American specialty has a rating of 1,360 lbf Janka hardness (a wood strength and quality test). You can find this wood having straight grain but unique textures and patterns. The wood can last longer and is dense. Since it is water-resistant, you don’t worry about rotting issues. Plus, you can apply any finish to it.

Beechwood

Another affordable option is this one. You can build your flooring, furniture, and cabinets with beech wood for its ability to withstand wear and tear. It can be perfect for your home environment if you have pets or receive many guests and visitors. If you were considering sink options from Kraus or other brands, you could make a beechwood cabinet for the sink area. Interestingly, beech trees are common in America’s northeastern forest regions. If you live in that part, you can source this wood locally quickly. The Janka hardness rating for this wood stands at 1,300 lbf. You can get it in colors like gold, brown, and honey – all the most coveted wood stains. Durability and straight grains are additional traits. 

Black Cherry

It is another popular sustainable wood that can quickly draw your attention for its deep red shade. You can compare it with mahogany in terms of grain pattern and tinge. Homeowners use this wood for window frames, accent walls, decking, furniture, and many other places. It can be the thing if you want to build something with a stable and durable base. 950 lbf is the Janka hardness score. Grains can be straight with some interesting patterns. However, you need help to paint it. Also, the color can change due to sun exposure.

Sungkai

Teak is the standard outdoor furniture wood option, but its exploitation harms the environment. You can opt for white teak or Sungkai wood for an eco-friendly choice. It can be suitable for garden furniture, flooring, etc. You find this material in Southeast Asia (275 lbf hardness score). You need to treat this wood to extend its life. The fascinating part of this variety is its delicate texture and ease of working with it.

Eastern White Pinewood

The quickly growing pine can be a more sustainable timber than oak. Because of being lightweight, it costs less for transportation. The versatility of the wood makes it apt for flooring, cabinets, furniture, and molding jobs. Again, you get this in North America. The wood features straight grains with dark-shaded permeable rings. 380 lbf is its Janka hardness score. You can find it in natural colors like soft white and dull yellow. However, staining can be a challenge with this wood.

Alder

You can ditch walnut and cherry for this fast-growing wood species in forests. Its naturally warm vibe eliminates the need to finish the wood. As a result, it becomes even more eco-friendly. One can use alder wood in panels, furniture, veneers, and moldings. With refined straight grains, alder can easily mimic the feel of maple, birch, and cherry wood. This native of the Pacific Northwest enjoys a Janka hardness score of 590 lbf. You can stain it easily.

Popular

Do you want to buy something other than walnut hardwood? Poplar wood is the option. It can grow 5 to 8 feet tall in one year compared to walnut trees, which need one year to reach only 3 to 4 feet. Forests can quickly grow poplar trees. You can use this wood for window frames, plywood, cabinets, furniture, doors, veneer, etc. The wood comes with straight grain and a medium texture. It is softer than most other wood varieties, and its density is also low. The North American tree enjoys a 540 lbf rating per the Janka hardness test.

Things to Check

Many high-end home designs rely on teak, walnut, Brazilian mahogany, ebony, Sapele, and Merbau. Most of these are becoming endangered because of heavy consumer demands. They make your flooring, cabinetry, trim, and other surfaces most charming. But if you wish to save them from extinction, switch to sustainable, equally efficient, and enchanting alternatives. You can save your money also. Furthermore, solid hardwood homes are less environment friendly than engineered wood ones. Engineered wood uses thin slices of hardwood and sturdy plywood. Because of the limited use of hardwood per board, the need for timber gets reduced. On the other hand, hardwood exhausts more timber and resources.

As a conscious resident, you can make your choices more meaningful and admirable for a society that thrives or suffers due to your decisions. You can choose a role and contribute. If you genuinely care for this planet, transitioning to sustainable materials will be tempting. You will want to explore such opportunities to reduce your carbon footprint. As hinted, options are galore waiting for you to make a move.

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