Congratulations on taking your first step in getting to know more about building your new home. You’ve found yourself here on this page for scouring some options about building your new residential or vacation house. Hence, you want to know about the different construction materials to help you come down to the best judgment which is perfect for your goals.
Some will want to build a house that can last for generations to come. On the other hand, some would eye only for about a couple of years to a decade. For any reason you may have in mind, here we’ll tell you the five main problems associated with wood frame construction.
Before we delve into that, let’s first get a clear definition of a wood frame?
In construction, it is a material that’s used as a backbone of a structure. Mostly, it’s used for houses. It sets a foundation for which a house will be shaped.
Even in modern times, it is still widely used for home construction and development. Practically speaking, it is because it is cost-effective and fast to build. It doesn’t mean, however, that it comes with no downsides. Like with its alternatives out there, it comes with a few weaknesses. Here are the five main problems you would have to know.
1. Fire Hazard
Among the first things that will come to mind when the wood is used as a construction material is the fire hazard that may come it. As compared with steel and concrete, wood is much more flammable.
While there are solutions to make it fire-resistant to some extent, on a grander scale, it’s still much more susceptible to damage than other materials that can be used for construction. Because wood doesn’t have an innate ability to fight off the fire, while it’s being cured to become less vulnerable to fire it still poses a great risk to be damaged.
2. It’s not as flexible as you might think
Since wood is a natural material, it often comes at a predetermined length and shape. It makes it more ideal to be used for traditional structures and might not be that friendly for more contemporary and modern residential architecture.
Attributed to its natural structure are some of the limitations in the design of your house. While it should do a great job supporting classic-designed residential homes, other foundation materials should be used for houses with a more complex design. Wood frames are good, but it’s not for all types of architecture.
3. It changes over time
Wood is naturally outsourced. While it’s a fantastic and great material, it’s not naturally the best when long-term is at sight. Among its inherent nature is the microscopically porous surfaces that make it absorbent of moisture, which can modify the wood’s thickness. It can also shrink over time once the moisture has left. So, these are the changes that you will want to avoid because, at the end of the day, your house is composed of different layers of things such as the backbone, the finish, and everything else that come in between. A minor change in any of those can lead to aesthetic, cosmetic, or structural damage.
4. High maintenance
Wood also naturally attracts termites and other biological organisms creating molds if not maintained well. So, you’ll need to have a highly organized system that takes a look at these kinds of things, to minimize the long-term and irreversible decay.
Damage in the woods can also cause health-related concerns such as lung problems once that molds have built themselves into the wood. The chemicals that will be used to keep the wood safe from other elements might also bring health hazards when inhaled. So, these are the things you’ll need to take extra precautions from.
5. Insulation
The material of the wood is naturally absorbent to heat and energy. So, it takes up heat easily without effectively and efficiently withdrawing them. It makes the heat stay longer inside, unlike concrete and steel materials.
So, during the daylight, it will let the heat in. But at night, it won’t let the heat dissipate to the outside that efficiently. Hence, it’s a good insulator and not necessarily ideal if you live in a humid and hot area.