Water Resistant Wood: Natural Timber for Beautiful Homes

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Natural wood is one of the most basic ingredients of Canadian homes. There are plenty of benefits of using natural timber in a residential dwelling. Canada is also blessed with the bounty of nature. Today we will discuss about wood in details, including the water resistant wood types and how to use them in your home. But let’s first find out some of the benefits of using wood in the interior and exterior of your home.

Benefits of wood

Wood is one of the oldest items still used to build homes. The log homes of Canada boast of an unparalleled legacy. Almost every part of the world with reasonable forest coverage boasts of unique timber house architecture. Wooden chalets of Switzerland, beautiful two story wood houses of the Himalayan region and timber framed houses of Germany are some of the most exquisite examples of wooden dwellings. Like Canadian homeowners, Japan is very fond of using wood in residential buildings as well. What is the reason for the enduring charm of solid wood?

Wood boasts of excellent insulation properties. It has a resistance value (R-value) between 0.70 and 1.45 per square inch. This happens to be much higher than many modern insulation materials. This makes wooden home so comfortable and energy efficient.

Wood is an eco-friendly and sustainable material. Despite concerns about our dwindling forest resources, which are also a pertinent issue, wood happens to be a very friendly material for building houses. It does not cause any health issues or allergic reactions among kids and pets.

Natural wood is soft and induces the interior with a warm feeling. It is a skid resistant material and comfortable for both kids and aged members of the family. It does not turn cold in the winter months like natural stone.

Wood boasts of an unparalleled beauty. It is especially doted for its varied colors and textures. Different wood types like ash, cedar, eucalyptus, walnut, pine, redwood, mahogany, maple etc have different texture and tone. You may easily stain them in other colors.

It is an extremely durable material. When you take care of your wood flooring or furniture properly they can last for generations. High quality wood is not prone to pest attacks or rotting. If they develop scratches and stains over time they can easily be remedied by slight sanding.

Best outdoor wood

Wood is frequently used to decorate the interior of a house as well as its exterior. It is extremely common for modern houses to have wooden sidings, outer walls, decks and patios. Those building Scandinavian style houses should take a particular note of that. This type of houses has a particular preference for solid wood. Take time out to select the best outdoor wood types for your home. Outdoor wood that is to be used for siding is not always similar to the ones used for building patio flooring, decks or outdoor furniture.

If you are planning to decorate the exterior walls with wood, then you may choose from pine, fir, cedar, spruce and redwood siding. Pine, cedar and redwood are by far the commonest siding materials for homes. Pine is a more affordable option. It is ideal for horizontal siding. For better weather resistance, pine should be sealed properly. Spruce costs similar to pine siding and has similar advantages and disadvantages as pine. Pine, fir and spruce cost between $5 CAD and $10 CAD per square foot. Cedar and redwood are significantly costlier than the other three options. However, they are extremely durable and need much less maintenance than pine, spruce or fir siding. Both cedar and redwood are not prone to termite attacks as well which turns out to be another great advantage.

Cedar, redwood and red cedar cost between $8 CAD and $15 CAD per square foot. Cedar siding can be used in many different ways. If you prefer shingle siding then you may consider opting for cedar as well. The rich hue of redwood and red cedar attracts many homeowners. Natural wood can be custom designed for stylizing the exterior walls.

Deck wood types

Wooden decks look sleek. It is environment friendly and don’t upset your garden ecosystem especially if you have wooden decks in your garden or swimming pool complex. Choose water resistant wood flooring for these parts of your building. They are going to be exposed to varying weather conditions all year long. Cedar and redwood are clear favorites here too. They are also two of the easily available deck wood types in Canada. Eucalyptus is also favored as deck wood. You may also choose tropical wood types like jarrah, ipe or teak. 

Redwood and cedar decking materials cost about $6 per square foot. Red cedar costs slightly higher than cedar. It can be left untreated though. It changes its color slightly over a period of time. Ipe is highly coveted for its beauty. It is an extremely hard and durable. But it costs higher than the other deck wood types. You will have to pay a minimum of $8 CAD per square foot for ipe flooring. Its shipping charges inflate its costs.

Rot resistant wood

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You may use rot resistant wood for a variety of purposes like designing a terrace or deck, building the fencing, decorating the exterior walls or designing a winding garden path. You may refer to the rot resistant wood chart to spot the wood types that you prefer to have in your home. Wood species like ebony, teak, rosewood, padauk, ironwood etc are some of the best rot resistant wood types. They are extremely durable and last for more than two decades. But, as you may have noticed, most of these wood species are tropical.

Among those easily available in Canada, spruce, oak, pine, Douglas fir etc are moderately durable. They need to be treated to make them properly rot resistant. Cedar, redwood, hickory, elm, walnut and soft maple are reasonably rot resistant. Consider seeking the option of an experienced architect for choosing the right wood type for your home.

Mold resistant wood

Timber that are not prone to moisture attacks are also the best mold resistant wood types. You may select from options like white or red maple, cedar, red oak, walnut or larch as they are some of the best wood for water resistance. Properly treated wood high quality natural wood doesn’t encourage the growth of mold and mildew. They can be used to the high moisture zones of your house without much concern.

Wood for outdoor furniture

Worried about choosing the right wood for outdoor furniture? Well, you should not be as there are plenty of options available for you. We have already spoken about the benefits of cedar and redwood as deck materials and sidings for the exterior walls. They happen to be the right choice for your wooden furniture as well, especially, if you plan to set them in your outdoor living area or barbecue zone. 

Mahogany is another all time favorite. It withstands the changing weather conditions well. White oak is super strong. Pressure treated pine is a lost cost option. You may use Shorea and teak for designing stylish garden seats. They look exquisite and are highly durable. Shorea is more affordable than teak.

Buy high quality waterproof paint for wood furniture. Invest in paints that are UV resistant as well. Don’t hesitate to repaint the outdoor furniture at least once in every four years’ or sooner, if needed. When not in use keep them under cover. It will protect their beauty and will extend their life.

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