What is Wood? But do we Respect it?

Trees furnish our planet and they have given us a fine resource that can keep us dry and warm. However, we must respect this resource if we are to carry on benefiting from it.

Trees

Wood comes from trees or is that just too obvious and stupid to include here? There are up to 500 species of trees in Europe. Whether for constructional or aesthetic use wood is useful material.  The tree gives us wood.

But what makes Wood so Useful?

Well like many natural plant-based materials including Hemp, has a fibrous makeup. This structure aids lateral strength but requires the binder, ‘Lignin’. Just being strong is not only what makes wood so useful but is that it also contains Cellulose which can be purified and used in chemistry, Cellophane plastics and Cellulose Acetate.

Different species of the tree provides different raw materials. The timber is an obvious tree resource but is not alone but Other substances such as turpentine from pines are well used.

Wood is A Carbon Neutral Fuel

Now, this may be controversial but it is true. While global warming theory is either denied by ‘Donal

d Trump’s and his Muppets’ or supported by the opposite of the later, ‘People with Brains. Coal will never be clean, Donald you are a PLONKER! Sorry, Hard Righters!

Trees Store Carbon within its cells

During a tree’s growth, they breathe our exhaled Carbon Dioxide storing it within the trees cell structure. Like us, a Tree will grow to maturity and then dies when it is its time. When we die we are either burned or buried. If buried we would rot and decay back to earth. This is partly true for the wood of trees. But it will emit the Gas, Carbon Dioxide back into the atmosphere if burned or allowed to decay.

Basics About Wood

While I was growing up I would love to explore the forests. These old forests support a myriad of species. Giving wildlife protection from the elements and providing food for creature along the food chain. We have to realise that these creatures play a part in nature that we cannot overlook.

Wood is a useful material that comes from the tree. There are thought to be 3 trillion trees on the Planet Earth.

If you are a botanist like David Bellamy then you will know a tree is a perennial with an elongated trunk. The hard substance of the stems and branches of trees and shrubs of any size. The trunk supports branches which then carry leaves or needles. But we

will try to go into more detail.

How Does a Tree Grow?

Every tree is covered in the bark which is like the skin of a tree. Beneath the bark is where the wood is hiding. The technical term is Xylem.

Grain of Wood

Wood is a linear Fibrous material so its strength follows the direction of the fibres. Those fibres add character and strength to its length. However different tree species have different grain and strength.

Like Hollow Straws

These fibres are hollow which draw up the nutrients suspended in moisture. Those nutrients help the vascular cambium layer between the bark and wood to divide cells. Thus increasing in mass.

Trees Grow!

This is what we commonly call ‘Growing’. The Bark grows and cells inside increase too. Like a scab grows new skin cells under the protective cap.

Tree Growth rings

Every year we have four seasons warm

climates but also in winter, it is very cold including some freezing. This process prints a layer around the tree trunk which we call a ring. If the winter season is mild then you have difficulty seeing a ring if you fell the tree or take a core sample.

How to Age a Tree?

Traditionally you can count the rings.  Sadly you will have to wait for the tree to be felled or just die. The rings are representative to the yearly season and the darkness will reflect the severity of the winter season.

You can read the ring of a tree without felling it, by simply using a core sample drill. You can estimate the age of a tree be measuring it’s the diameter and using a tree species age calculation guide determine a rough idea of the age of the tree.

The Wood Products

As the tree grows it will gain breadth and height. Technically tree dies internally and this is the central part of the tree which we call the ‘heartwood’. Therefore the part of the wood we use for a construction or cabinet joiner is the heartwood.

Our Relationship with Wood!

Since Egyptian times we have been honing our skills using this fine material. Carpenters and Joiners have produced some fine products for keeping our wine glasses and clothes.

Timber has been used for therapeutic purposes such as oils. It is estimated that our loved tree has been on this wonderful planet for over 370 million years.

How Many Trees are There?

The tree has been very busy with its triffid-like worldly population growth of over three trillion offspring.

Wooden Ecology or Just Green Ignorance?

Tree’s play a very important part for the planet Earth’s Ecosystem just like insects. Sadly Humanity is destroying both. The Tree has the ability to shade other plants in an effort to compete for sunlight.

Woodland Ecology Management

This resource requires careful management if we are not to degrade it beyond saviour.

Why this is important? Trees as a part of our ecosystem play a huge world responsible role.

Woodland Habitat

The woodland that they live in provides a habitat for all kinds of creatures. These creatures live in the nooks and crannies of the tree. Additional protection is provided by the deadwood whether laying on the forest floor decomposing or still attached to a tree.

Insects Clean up the Forest Floor

The insects help degrade waste of dead carbon materials. Insects provide food for birds and other insectivores.

We are all part of a larger picture and we must not deny our role as responsible guardians of this planet Earth.

Our Young are Our Saviours!

Today on the 16/02/2019 children protested outside parliament square blocking its normal day to day routine. The protest was inspired by a wonderful Swedish girl Greta Thunberg an avid climate change protester.

Is Our Old in Denial about Climate Change?

While the young want to protect their futures Donald Trump is only interested in reawakening the carbon fuel industry with his so-called “Clean Coal”!!

The Current System is Broken

The Rain Forest although not European is at risk of being overfarmed or even just decimated by the local community for their own survival. In Africa, local inhabitants burn huge areas of woodland to herd a local Rat species which they eat. It is hard to criticise when the people are starving but those concerned are destroying their food source by destroying animal habitats.

Save the Trees – Don’t Eat Rats!

Luckily I don’t eat Rats but relish in the goodwill of people that promote our planet as a positive resource.

We live in a strange world of good people flanked by a chord nutters that suffer from the Trump effect!

Wood in Construction

Today we are very dependent on timber for our basic construction needs. Softwoods such as Douglas fir is a very important timber for the construction industry. Douglas-fir is often stress-graded for use as joists and structural construction.

This important tree timber has evolved into a commodity which is the lifeblood of the house building industry.

In 2016 a vote to leaves was won by mistake in a flawed referendum. Considering the UK import the bulk of its timber because of the depleted UK farmed timber. It is clear the EU will protect its members and give preferential consideration to them for any timber allocations.

Is Wood is Still Useful While Oil Based Materials are on the Rise?

Chemical materials such as UPVC are very popular although ugly these days for it’s long life and easy maintenance. These plastics like these are responsible for much of the material which is not recyclable or no market for the recycled product.

Many raw plastic suppliers are refusing recycled plastic. So I believe the reduction of plastic use has to be a priority and the move towards managed farmed woods should be prepared.

The only issue is that unlike countries that have a good wood source such as Finland the UK has a limited self-harvest of the forest.

Timber Military

Years past the military forces was also a major consumer of timber. The Spanish Armada decimated the Oak forests of Spain. Today Iron ore has replaced this raw material.

In the US and other countries, large amounts of forest were felled for the construction, of forts and barrage. Armaments such as catapults or slingshots were also made from wood as was most of the barrier fort barriers. Let’s not forget the Bows and Arrows which were made and disposed of in their thousands for every battle.

Common Material is Logistical!

Although Softwoods are the go too timber they are not only popular because of practical use but economical production plays a part. So some timbers that we consider exotic are a plentiful resource such as Mexico. Mexico’s common timber ironwood category that we call  Purple Heart is common.

Pretty in Wood!

Wood species not only influence construction but also aesthetics. And so we must choose the correct timber variety to suit our needs and purpose.

Living here in France opens our access to European timbers. French Oak, Chestnut and softwoods such a Fines and Firs but there is many more.

What is Wood?

Burning or Building Wood is Carbon Neutral

There are some caveats? For wood to be Carbon Neutral we must refrain from using excessive energy to process or transport long distances.

Arlene Foster of the DUP Biomass Scandal!

The Environmental ‘Renewable Heat Incentive’ scandal came to the front page in 2016 as the current  Enterprise, Trade and Investment minister in Northern Ireland. This 1 billion bribed leader of the DUP is responsible for a cost of 500 million to the public purse of the UK. This unethical leader, in my opinion, cares little for the people of Ireland which is cast by her behaviour since the 2016 Brexit Vote.

This Scandal caused the collapse of devolution in Northern Ireland. Basically here the department paid more than it was worth because of spiralling costs. Various renewable heating fuel was considered but in particular, the problem originated with a biomass fuel such as pellets.

Burning wood-derived pellets is fine but cutting down trees other than using renewable sources of waste products is not environmental. If considering Biomass Wood Pellets be careful of their origin. Be sure the source material is renewable such a coppiced wood or grass product. It is important that the pellets are made from organic material only. No binding agents should be added. The compression process should only rely on lignin.

Fibrous Skeletal.

Think of this support network similar to our skeletal and muscular structure. These fibres are there to support the tree and every tree has a slightly different structure. This is why some timbers are better than others for structural uses. Douglas fir may not be a pretty timber it is structurally good. Because of its long grain unlike Walnut or beech has a short grain which is pretty by not useful for the construction industry

Lignin is Woods Glue

The binder is Lignin and is unwittingly used in the production of compressed wood products such as compressed fire logs or pellets. When put under extreme pressure, in other words, Squashed it changes the matrix environment which the cellulose fibres are suspended.

Popular Timbers for Construction

Douglas Fir has found itself in the construction of many homes. Technically not a Fir but a Pine. This resinous wood has many benefits for the use in construction. It has good lateral tensile strength so a good choice for joists and roof construction.

Trees of France English with French Translations- Wood Types

Glossary of Wood Species