TIMBER
HOW WOOD IS EVOLVING Climate change is undoubtedly the biggest threat facing us, and we know that big changes need to be made across all industries to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says Sarah Virgo of Wood for Good
T
he timber industry has supported a low-carbon solution for the built environment for years. Trees capture CO2 and store it as carbon, wood products stop that CO2 entering the atmosphere for the lifetime of that product. It supports sustainable forestry practices that grow more trees, capturing more CO2, and it helps replace other fossil-fuel intensive products in construction.
Currently, demand for timber is soaring, particularly in the DIY and home-improvement markets. But if we are to decarbonise construction, it is crucial to continue providing accessible ways for using more wood. The timber industry is constantly evolving and innovating, finding new ways to use wood to provide flexible, beautiful, sustainable solutions for the construction and design industries and consumer.
1 EGGER: TEXTURE MEETS COLOUR Over the last couple of years, the demand for solid colour decors in kitchen and bedroom design has soared in popularity. The trend has now evolved with customers looking for a broader choice of textures similar to those created by painted timber. In 2020, EGGER introduced the Texture Meets Colour range, which allows customers to mix and match decors and textures to suit their needs. Suitable for door frontals, carcassing, wall panels and wardrobes the range is available as Melamine Faced Chipboard (MFC) that
Wood for Good have selected a few of these different ventures below that we believe showcase the different ways the timber industry is continuing to innovate, challenge and change how we use wood. Article originally published in Wood for Good, the timber industry’s promotional campaign for greater use of wood in design and construction: www.woodforgood. com
2 DANZER – 3D VENEERS
combines different colours and textures to look like painted wood. The MFC boards are made up of: • 40% hack chips and sawdust • 40% recycled material • 20% round wood According to EGGER, this gives the boards a negative carbon footprint of -13.3kg CO2/m2! The solution is cost-effective and low maintenance for customers, ensuring that there are sustainable options to suit every budget and customer.
3D-Veneer allows for the design and industrial production of organic wood shapes hence 3D-Veneer ushers in a new era in wood design. While bending wood was previously restricted by narrow parameters, the introduction of 3D-Veneers opens up completely new possibilities. During the conversion to 3D veneer the process is highly technical and
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involves many challenging steps like applying glue stripes to the back face, cutting the individual stripes at an extremely low tolerance and high precision final sanding. The ability to take a naturally low-carbon material and use it in non-traditional settings opens up possibilities for designers to to specify wood over other competing materials.
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