Types of Wood
There is real wood, and then there is the rest:
- Plywood is thin sheets of wood glued together.
- Particle board is like wood chips glued together.
- Fiber board is like sawdust glued together.
These are typical materials in cheap furniture with petroleum-based glues and plastic finishes. Most of these will swell up when the wood gets wet, and then they end up in the trash.
Real wood is natural, beautiful, solid, and a great renewable resource. But read on…
Types of Trees
Buy local. You know what your getting, how its made, and who you’re supporting. I prefer using wood from local trees, local lumber yards and local mills, supporting local.
America has many great, locally grown woods: oak, ash, walnut, cherry, poplar, pine, maple, hickory, cedar, and many more! They are local, available, renewable, and abundant! (Fortunately, the USA has excellent landscape for many tree species!)
Many tropical woods are not local, not sustainable, and they could be endangered. You could be buying wood imported through unfair trades, or worse: killing endangered forests.
Buy local, buy quality, buy responsibly!
A Final Thought: Cutting Down Trees
A controversial issue, but there’s a way out.
Trees grow and die. It’s a natural process of nature. Sustainable farming of trees, like sustainable farming of veggies, is a way to speed up nature’s process. It supports both nature and us humans. In fact, we couldn’t possibly survive without our trees! Wood is our main material for creating things, it removes carbon from the air as it grows, and it’s nature friendly!
Now, consider the alternatives: metals, plastics, and other man-made materials. These other materials pollute our planet during their manufacturing and disposal. Wood is our miracle material, if we use it responsibly.
The Solution
A single piece of furniture can be well made and last lifetimes. Unfortunately, cheaper materials don’t last and are made to be replaced multiple times during a single lifetime. Creating so much waste, and wasted materials, can be reduced by being responsible.
Buy quality, buy once, buy responsibly.
