Author: Brian Ashworth July 16, 2019

Guest post by Sarah Morris

Mouldings are commonly used to add beauty and character to windows, doors, and rooms within your home.

These mouldings usually have surfaces that are both convex as well as concave with integrated angles and planes to create a unique appearance.

If you’re wondering about moulding materials to use for your home, then you should definitely consider the use of natural timber, such as FJ Pine timber mouldings.

Here are six benefits of using natural timber mouldings:

1. Natural Insulation

Timber mouldings can act as a natural insulation that provides a barrier between cold and heat.

Wood has many air pockets inside its cellular structure that makes it a lightweight insulator.

Home designs that focus on energy efficiency can significantly benefit from natural timber as it contributes to minimizing energy use and maximizing comfort.

The thermal properties of natural timber also maximize the effectiveness of insulation materials because wood does not dissipate heat or become cold, thus requiring less nonrenewable energy to maintain the desired temperature in your home.

2. Burns Slow

Although natural timber is a flammable material, it also burns in a predictable, slow, and measurable way.

In regard to these factors, natural timber, performs better in the event of a fire, when compared to other flammable construction materials. 

In the event of a fire, timber will form a layer of charcoal on its surface that provides fire resistance to the material.

The charcoaled surface acts as an insulator to the timber’s inner core that delays the penetration of heat, keeping temperatures low in unburned materials and allowing timber to hold its weight longer than other materials.

The protective surface also reduces the overall flammability of timber.

This self-defense mechanism of natural timber will enable it to survive fires while maintaining its stability and strength. 

3. Environment-Friendly Production

The manufacturing process of timber mouldings uses considerably less nonrenewable energy per unit volume than aluminum, PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), and MDF (Medium-Density Fibreboard), reducing the amount of pollution generated during the process.

A home with one cubic meter of timber in place of other materials such as aluminum, PVC, and MDF can save up to 1 tonne of toxic greenhouse gasses.

4. Renewable and Natural

Timber mouldings are one of the only few renewable and natural building materials you can use in your home.

The processes involved in harvesting and forest regeneration for the production of timber ensures that the material will be continuously available in the market.

When a single tree is harvested, it will be replaced by up to ten trees, thus creating a renewable cycle.

Timber as a natural resource is considered safe to touch, handle, and is non-toxic.

Additionally, it doesn’t break down into environmentally toxic materials and naturally ages with time. 

5. Greenhouse Positive

Timber mouldings are carbon positive products with lower environmental effects when compared to other materials, such as aluminum, PVC, and MDF.

It contributes to the long-term reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. 

With forest regeneration, growing trees absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and stores it inside their leaves, trunks, and branches.

In fact, almost half of the dry weight of a tree is composed of carbon.

The carbon is stored throughout its lifetime and retained even after the manufacturing process. 

6. Improve Well-Being and Health

Wood can have a positive effect on your health.

Exposure to wooden interiors and products creates the same health benefits as spending quality time in nature, as people are innately drawn towards it.

If you spend a lot of time indoors, bringing nature inside your home can positively affect your well-being and health.

Here are some of the health benefits of using natural timber as building materials:

• • • Improved emotional state and self-complacency
    • Enhanced comfort and warmth
    • Lower stress levels, heart rate, and blood pressure
    • Improved air quality and breathing

Being surrounded by wood can also have a positive effect on people’s opinions and attitudes, such as:

• • • Persons living in assisted living facilities communicate more with each other.
    • Most workers prefer a workplace with wooden desks and chairs.
    • Classrooms that feature wooden materials positively improves students’ stress levels and heart rates.

Closing Thoughts

Timber mouldings come in a wide variety of shades, finishes, and styles so it’s easy to look for something you’d like.

From light-colored pine to deep mahoganies, there’s a lot of varieties to choose from.

Whether it’s for your home or business, timber mouldings can be utilized to enhance and improve the look of walls, doors, and windows to bring a certain allure and elegance.