Author: Brian July 4, 2018

Guest Post By Stephen Tasker

No matter what the type of building – residential or commercial – there are common needs that can lead you to consider timber wall systems.

Any home or business can be improved with the benefits of natural, sustainable and low-maintenance wood used to improve acoustics, meet code requirements, provide beauty and privacy, and enhance architectural details.

Let’s look at some of the many benefits architectural timber provides, and you’ll quickly appreciate how it will enhance your home or business.

Acoustical Control

There’s a reason that wood is used in musical instruments.

Its inherent qualities allow it to absorb and diffuse sound – and it does it with a warmer, softer result than metal or other substances.

Open floor plans and high ceilings can create an environment where everyday life – conversations, plumbing, kitchen noise, traffic can become distracting and unpleasant.

Timber feature walls and ceilings can help control the noise in your business or home – and do it attractively.

With the addition of a suspended timber ceiling and other features, the sounds stop echoing.

The noise flows between and behind the wood slats, shaping and diffusing the sounds, and letting you enjoy the calmer, quieter benefits.

In commercial applications, these same qualities give efficient and attractive results to theaters, restaurants, retail and office spaces.

Enhancing Architecture

In contemporary, rustic or other interiors, wood is a classic.

It can fit into any home or commercial design.

Architectural timber features can define areas in open spaces, emphasize a wall, soften a high ceiling, provide privacy, and add stunning accents to any kind of space.

Suspended timber ceilings give warmth to rooms and provide a background for light fixtures that ceiling tiles or plasterboard cannot match.

It works well for protected outdoor spaces, too.

A well-placed timber wall lets light flow through while giving you privacy.

Whether inside or out, timber features can be the perfect solution for updating your space while adding value and warmth.

Sustainability

Living green is an important part of adding timber ceiling systems or timber feature walls to your commercial or home space.

Finding a sustainable building product that uses woods like Western Red Cedar can be an important contribution to your green lifestyle and your commitment to the environment.

The Red Cedar used in Austratus timber ceiling and wall products, for example, is a certified sustainable product.

The growth and production methods help limit greenhouse gases, create less pollution of water and air, use less energy, and are highly renewable and sustainable.

Using a suspended timber ceiling means that the materials used are much friendlier to the environment and come from materials that don’t require mining.

You can feel good about a product that uses materials that are certified to come from a sustainably managed forest.

Code Compliant Construction

It might be surprising to learn that elements like timber ceiling systems and timber feature walls can be a beautiful way to complete your project while remaining code compliant.

Fire ratings for commercial spaces can be a headache.

The correct timber products can assist you to easily meet Building Code Level 3 requirements in your building.

Western Red Cedar is a wood with low fire spread and fire hazard qualities, and used with sprinklers, it is easier than ever to meet the building regulations.

Ease of Maintenance

The wood used in architectural timber features, suspended ceilings, and walls has another feature that you may not have considered – easy upkeep.

The maintenance is almost non-existent.

Keeping it clean will help extend the life of the finish, but many actually prefer the look that the wood takes on as it ages.

Woods like Western Red Cedar are filled with naturally occurring preservatives.

Problems like termites, decay and moisture damage are minimized, adding to the low-maintenance aspect.

The durability of wood has been proved over time.

Privacy

Timber feature walls can provide privacy without sacrificing the flow of air and light through your structure.

The slatted construction limits views from the street or another room while looking great.

Large spaces can be divided into smaller areas, and a well-placed timber wall can allow customers and diners to enjoy a sense of intimacy that might not be possible in a large undefined room.

The acoustic-softening effects of wood also enhance the feeling of privacy.

It’s clear that timber wall systems offer a broad range of benefits – some that you may not have known about.

These systems are easy care, with code-compliant construction features and sustainability built in.

Acoustical control, privacy, and beauty are some of the more obvious benefits.

With manufacturers like Austratus offering off-the-shelf modular solutions to installation, there is now an innovative and easy way to add suspended timber ceilings and walls – and do it more quickly, easily and affordably than ever.