LUMBER 411
A Special Series from Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association
By Jeff Easterling
Why wood you choose anything else? ince the dawn of time—or, well, since the early 1900s at least, wood associations like the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association have been promoting the use of natural, renewable, beautiful wood to lumber dealer and retailers nationwide. And the reasons why are crystal clear: Wood is LEGENDARY. No other structural material, natural or man-made, combines the utility and lasting quality of wood. No other building material requires so little care and maintenance. And it’s been this way for ages!
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The Stone Age Was Really the Wood Age
Our earliest recorded history shows that when Man first emerged from his cave, he looked to wood to build a primary shelter. Wood was used for fire and heat. Wood was used to build travois to carry things. Cavemen knew then the power of wood… and we still know it today!
Viva la Revolution!
Take a look around what were once the original 13 colonies and you see nothing but beautiful old wooden structures. These Colonial homes and mills and businesses stand as a strong reminder of both wood’s role in the founding of this great country and the incomparable durability of the product itself. Many of these structures still retain the original wood sashes, siding, and exterior trim after hundreds and hundreds of years. Since then, our great nation has expanded from one coast to the other, all while building with easily accessible, locally grown, beautiful, renewable wood. Ask any historian
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where our country would be without wood as a basic raw material; we’ll hazard a guess the answer would be “nowhere.”
Was it Gold Wood??
Decades ago, while digging near Ankara, Turkey, in an area adjacent to the tomb of King Midas, archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania discovered massive wooden beams that had survived for (wait for it…) about 2,700 years. The beams were found in the tomb of King Gordius, father to King Midas, with the wood from which the beams were formed identified as a species similar to our pine. The wood had received no special treatment and survived for that long. The beams themselves were hand-hewn, beautifully sanded and smoothed, and so expertly fitted that, even after thousands of years, the joints were practically invisible.
Repeat After Us: Wood Is the Best
We have a theory, that if wood didn’t exist, someone would have to invent it. Civilization as we know it could not exist without wood. So why must be constantly be reminded of the features and benefits of using real wood? Because any traditional material can be placed at a serious disadvantage in the tempo of modern life. We become preoccupied with what’s new and shiny and fun; we get swept away by products claiming to make our lives “easier”—but at what cost? Dig deeper into many of these new “wood alternatives” and you won’t like what you see. Don’t be led astray by the excitement of newness. Too many of
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these suddenly glamorous materials are pushed into uses for which they are not adapted. In this situation, sometimes the traditional material becomes the victim of a misinformation campaign filled with very few facts. How many negative things have you heard about using wood to build? Consider the source. Superstitious old wives tales perpetuate themselves and wood is not immune to popular misconceptions.
How to Sell Wood Better
The story of and for wood is one worth telling and sharing. A pamphlet first published in 1960 entitled A Case for Wood was originally targeted specifically at lumber dealers to educate them on the ways to best sell wood. The pamphlet specifically addresses multiple misconceptions about wood and attacks them head on. Topics included The Myth of “Dry Rot,” Insects: Fact & Fiction, Fire Safety, Paint Performance, and Dimensional Stability. Each topic was summarily dismantled with facts, once again proving that wood is the premier building product choice. And yet—here we are in 2021, still reading (and rolling our eyes) and ongoing misinformation aimed at wood focusing on these same topics! The thing is, arguments and facts in defense of wood stand the test of time and still hold true today. How many other building products can say that? – Jeff Easterling is president of Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Assn. Reach him at info@nelma.org.
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