[horselover]

But when you consider how fast our forests are being depleted whether due to natural(fires), or man made(paper products, etc), you really can't afford to build a wood house. Not to mention that it's an extreme fire hazard.

[shadowbot]

Arent all the houses currently being built made out of wood anyway? At least wood is a renewable resource and there are responsible companies reforesting. If done the right way it can be helpful for the environment and prevent forest fires by thinning out the vegetation. Think of all the wood thats wasted every year in forest fires that we could use to build with.

[horselover]

First, not all homes are wood, but many cottages and whatnot are.

Second, it takes many years for reforestation to complete the cycle. It would take much longer to repopulate a forest than it would to destroy it for various uses such as homes and paper products.

Think of how many trees are cut down to make paper products such as newspapers and realize just how many people don't recycle their papers. It turns into a vicious cycle of cutting down trees to supply new demand when recycled materials could be used. Not enough people recycle their paper products to warrant less trees cut down.

[hardwired]

don't forget about dome green houses "lengthen your growing season"

[shadowbot]

I dont think that so many trees are cut down that it warrants the labeling of wood use as something that should be avoided. Its where the wood is cut from and how it is done that should be controlled.

[horselover]

Can you explain what you mean by that?

[shadowbot]

You make it sound like using wood for building is a bad thing and thats why it shouldnt be used for homes.

[horselover]

I'm just saying that there's already too much destruction of trees for everyday goods, but less should be used to build homes.



Wood has a 0% fire safety rating, so why use it at all in constructing houses if you can avoid it? It's a deathtrap if you ask me.

[hardwired]

Horselover - You should look into Managed Forestry, the select cutting of trees helps promote new growth and wild life in overgrown forest as well as decreases the risk of forest fires. I'm not talking about clear cutting to make that clear(lol), wood harvested from managed forests is a sustainable resource and helps employ a large number of people in North America. It's the right way to do it if you are to harvest trees for wood products. Now again there those companies that do say they are doing this and take advantage of the system as the Forestry Industry is self regulated so we as citizens should be checking up on them and making sure they are doing what they say on Crown Land.

[horselover]

I understand what you mean.

I guess my line of thinking came from picturing an entire area of forest being destroyed, instead of small areas that may need to be removed.

You see it on t.v, movies, cartoons where they cut down massive hectares of forest for almost nothing, and by the time they're done, there's nothing but hundreds of stumps.

The way you put it actually makes sense to me.

Thanks for cleaing it up.

I still stand on not using wood for houses since wood is an extremely flammable material.