When first Homo Sapiens found wood use was not very wide. Hunting tools, livestock fencing and appropriate fences around their homes were made of this amazing and practical material. It had to take a lot of time till the first construction of wooden buildings was started. Log cabins and other wooden buildings have their own long history. But firstly I want to introduce what is the wood and what features it has. Wood is an organic, anisotropic and hygroscopic material. It has thermal, electrical, mechanical, acoustic, working and many other. Its properties are very appropriate and let us to build beautiful and comfortable residential log cabin using only wood.
Aesthetic attribute
Wood is considered as a very aesthetic material and is one of the most decorative material. It has a big variety of natural colours depending on different tree species, they also have its individual design which changes according the way it is sliced and because of the smell. There is a possibility to look through different wooden materials by design and colour preferences.
Thermal attribute
It is known that a lot of materials change their size and forms in hot and very cold temperature. Many of them expands when the temperature increases, so it means volumetric and linear expression. The expansion changes the strength of material, it becomes not such a strong. Steel is called one of the strongest materials and has the advantage against fire, but used in house building it expands and collapses as a result of increase in heat. Wood affected by heat practically does not expand. On the contrary, affected with heat wood dries out and gets much more strength. Itsexpandationdepends only on humidity balance when its level is below 0% and it is significant only for scientists. Wood has a feature to keep inside about 5% humidity level even if the driest climate outside.
This material also has a very low thermal conductivity. Aluminium, steel, marble, glass transmits heat many times faster than wood. For this reason it is used for ceilings and wall coverings, making matches and handles of hardware equipment. Its own heart is high so that means if you need to increase and decrease the temperature of one kilogram wood you need a high amount of energy. Wood compared with stone and concrete requires much more amount of heat energy and three times more than it is needed to heat and cool steel.
Electrical attribute
Dried wood is resistant to electrical current. If you dry it in the oven you will have a very good electrical insulator. Timber dried in extent air conditions has the same feature. Unfortunately, when the humidity of wood increases all resistant to electrical current reduces. Static electricity which is dangerous for our health is not seen in wood as it observed in metal, plastic and other materials. So because of this attribute wood is presented as a healthy material.
Oxidation attribute
This material has oxidation characteristics, but it is not the same as metal oxidation. All metals get rust and the wood does not. There are many constructions where because of such characteristic use of wood is needed when it is necessary to avoid rust.
Mechanical attribute
Some people cannot believe how it can be that wood is so light material, but its strength is compared with concrete, steel and other robust materials. It does not matter what kind of timber it is natural or glued, made from wooden layers the strength score is the same. This feature gives wood widely use, e.g. for houses, garden cabins, log cabins and similar building construction.
Acoustic attribute
Every sound isolation depends on the mass of the surface. Wood is light material which can not make perfect sound isolation, but it perfectly absorbs the sound. This natural material has a possibility to absorb the sound of noise and echo. Because of this feature timber is widely used in concert halls.
Speed of sound is faster in the woods than in liquids or gases, however because of this it is close to various metals. When there is a friction, sound looses its energy, so that loss is also significantly low in the woods because of their structure and lightness. Due to this cause timber is widely used in musical instruments making.
Working attribute
Wood is liked because of easy maintenance and simple repair. Old wood can be changed to another, while other materials are needed to be renewed by special measures and it takes a lot of your time and money.
Wood can be easily combined with various finishing materials such as stone, bricks, concrete or glass. If your house is made only from wood, you can easily decorate both interior and exterior with these materials. Some people love nature and the residential log cabin lets them to feel like they are always here, so timber logs, impregnated and painted with special varnish or paints will give natural, warm and cozy look.
Variation
There is very wide variation of wood. Every tree has his own colour, design and smell. It is hard to believe but it is counted more than 5000 kinds of woods in the world. They have different weight and both macroscopic and microscopic structures. Pine, spruce or mahogany have different physical, acoustic, electrical and mechanical and also thermal properties. Because of such big choice every person can find the wood suitable for his needs. Lightweight wood can be used for better sound isolation and the heavy ones for house constructions.
Aesthetic attribute
Wood is considered as a very aesthetic material and is one of the most decorative material. It has a big variety of natural colours depending on different tree species, they also have its individual design which changes according the way it is sliced and because of the smell. There is a possibility to look through different wooden materials by design and colour preferences.
Thermal attribute
It is known that a lot of materials change their size and forms in hot and very cold temperature. Many of them expands when the temperature increases, so it means volumetric and linear expression. The expansion changes the strength of material, it becomes not such a strong. Steel is called one of the strongest materials and has the advantage against fire, but used in house building it expands and collapses as a result of increase in heat. Wood affected by heat practically does not expand. On the contrary, affected with heat wood dries out and gets much more strength. Itsexpandationdepends only on humidity balance when its level is below 0% and it is significant only for scientists. Wood has a feature to keep inside about 5% humidity level even if the driest climate outside.
This material also has a very low thermal conductivity. Aluminium, steel, marble, glass transmits heat many times faster than wood. For this reason it is used for ceilings and wall coverings, making matches and handles of hardware equipment. Its own heart is high so that means if you need to increase and decrease the temperature of one kilogram wood you need a high amount of energy. Wood compared with stone and concrete requires much more amount of heat energy and three times more than it is needed to heat and cool steel.
Electrical attribute
Dried wood is resistant to electrical current. If you dry it in the oven you will have a very good electrical insulator. Timber dried in extent air conditions has the same feature. Unfortunately, when the humidity of wood increases all resistant to electrical current reduces. Static electricity which is dangerous for our health is not seen in wood as it observed in metal, plastic and other materials. So because of this attribute wood is presented as a healthy material.
Oxidation attribute
This material has oxidation characteristics, but it is not the same as metal oxidation. All metals get rust and the wood does not. There are many constructions where because of such characteristic use of wood is needed when it is necessary to avoid rust.
Mechanical attribute
Some people cannot believe how it can be that wood is so light material, but its strength is compared with concrete, steel and other robust materials. It does not matter what kind of timber it is natural or glued, made from wooden layers the strength score is the same. This feature gives wood widely use, e.g. for houses, garden cabins, log cabins and similar building construction.
Acoustic attribute
Every sound isolation depends on the mass of the surface. Wood is light material which can not make perfect sound isolation, but it perfectly absorbs the sound. This natural material has a possibility to absorb the sound of noise and echo. Because of this feature timber is widely used in concert halls.
Speed of sound is faster in the woods than in liquids or gases, however because of this it is close to various metals. When there is a friction, sound looses its energy, so that loss is also significantly low in the woods because of their structure and lightness. Due to this cause timber is widely used in musical instruments making.
Working attribute
Wood is liked because of easy maintenance and simple repair. Old wood can be changed to another, while other materials are needed to be renewed by special measures and it takes a lot of your time and money.
Wood can be easily combined with various finishing materials such as stone, bricks, concrete or glass. If your house is made only from wood, you can easily decorate both interior and exterior with these materials. Some people love nature and the residential log cabin lets them to feel like they are always here, so timber logs, impregnated and painted with special varnish or paints will give natural, warm and cozy look.
Variation
There is very wide variation of wood. Every tree has his own colour, design and smell. It is hard to believe but it is counted more than 5000 kinds of woods in the world. They have different weight and both macroscopic and microscopic structures. Pine, spruce or mahogany have different physical, acoustic, electrical and mechanical and also thermal properties. Because of such big choice every person can find the wood suitable for his needs. Lightweight wood can be used for better sound isolation and the heavy ones for house constructions.
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