WOOD – TIMBER – LUMBER
Wood has been used as a building material for thousands of years, being second only to stone in
terms of its rich and storied history in the world of construction.
One of the biggest advantages of using wood as a building material is that it is a natural
resource, making it readily available and economically feasible.
It is remarkably strong in relation to its weight, and it provides good insulation from the cold.
Wood is highly machinable, and can be fabricated into all kinds of shapes and sizes to fit
practically any construction need.
Wood is also the perfect example of an environmentally sustainable product; it is
biodegradable and renewable, and carries the lowest carbon footprint of any comparable
building material.
Lumber and timber both refer to wood products, but they differ primarily in processing stage and
size, particularly in North America.
Lumber is processed, sawn wood (boards, planks) used for construction, while timber typically
refers to standing trees, raw logs, or large-dimension beams.
Differences and Definitions:
Lumber (Processed): Wood that has been cut, milled, and dried. It is used for framing,
flooring, and furniture, generally measuring less than 5 x 5inches (regardless of length) .
Timber (Unprocessed/Large): Refers to standing trees or raw, recently-felled logs. In
construction, "timber" often refers to large, heavy wood pieces, such as beams over 5 x 5
inches (regardless of length).
LUMBER AS A CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL:
Lumber is a fundamental construction material valued for its high strength-to-weight ratio,
versatility, and sustainability. Typically derived from processed softwood or hardwood, it serves
as the "backbone" of residential and light commercial structures, providing the essential
framework for walls, floors, and roofs
Processing wood into lumber involves: harvesting logs, debarking, sawing them into cants or
boards, seasoning (drying) to reduce moisture, and finally planing to achieve smooth, uniform
dimensions
Steps of Processing Wood to Obtain Lumber:
1. Harvesting and Transportation
Felling: Trees are cut down using chainsaws or mechanized harvesters.
Bucking: Trees are cut into manageable log lengths.
Transport: Logs are transported to a sawmill via trucks.
2. Primary Processing (Sawmill)
Debarking: Outer bark is removed to protect saw blades and allow for further processing.
Sawing (Head Rig): The primary, large saw cuts the log into usable pieces, such as cants
(roughly square, large timber) or planks.
Edging: Irregular edges, bark, and defects are removed from the boards.
Trimming: Boards are squared off at the ends to reach the final required length.
3. Seasoning (Drying)
Drying removes moisture to prevent warping and decay, reducing it from a "green" state
to a stable, usable state.
Air Drying: Stacking lumber in a covered, open area to dry naturally over months or years.
Kiln Drying: Using a controlled kiln to dry lumber quickly (days or weeks) using heat and
humidity control.
4. Finishing and Grading
Planing: Machines smooth the rough surface of the dried lumber and ensure exact,
uniform thickness and width.
Grading: Boards are sorted based on quality, strength, appearance, and structural defects.
Final Inspection: The finished product is stamped and packaged for sale.
Primary Types of Lumber
Lumber is broadly categorized by its source and manufacturing process:
Softwood: Harvested from coniferous trees like pine, spruce, and fir. It accounts for 80%
of construction lumber because it grows quickly, is affordable, and is easy to fasten with
nails or screws.
Hardwood: Sourced from deciduous trees such as oak, maple, and walnut. While denser
and more durable, it is generally more expensive and reserved for finishes, flooring, and
high-quality cabinetry.
Engineered Wood: Products like Plywood, Glued Laminated Timber (Glulam), and Cross-
Laminated Timber (CLT) are made by bonding wood layers together. These offer superior
structural stability and allow for larger spans than traditional solid wood.
Treated Lumber: Wood chemically infused with preservatives to resist rot, decay, and
insect damage, making it essential for outdoor decks and ground-contact applications
Benefits Drawbacks
Fast on-site assembly; often requires
Susceptible to warping, shrinking, or
Construction no heavy machinery; excellent for
swelling with moisture changes.
prefabrication.
Natural thermal insulator; high tensile
Vulnerable to pests like termites and
Performance strength relative to weight; predictable
fungal rot if not properly maintained.
charring in fires (heavy timber).
Renewable resource; acts as a "carbon Fire safety requires strict adherence to
Sustainability sink" by storing absorbed CO2 for the building codes and often protective
building's life. cladding.
Grading and Standards
Lumber is sorted by quality and strength through standardized grading systems:
Structural Grades (e.g., C16, C24): These ratings indicate bending strength and stiffness. C24 is
higher quality with fewer defects, used for heavy-duty load-bearing beams, while C16 is common
for residential studs and joists (The "C" stands for conifer (spruce, pine, or fir), and "16" indicates
a minimum bending strength of 16MPa).
Dimensional Lumber: Milled to standard "nominal" sizes (like 2x4), though actual dimensions are
smaller after drying and surfacing
References:
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
mean#:~:text=C16%20%E2%80%93%20This%20class%20is%20medium,commercial%20decking
%20or%20roof%20battens.
[Link]
processed
[Link]