Metal Buildings

From termites to mold to shrinkage, wood doesn't make for the ideal building material. Find out four reasons why you should avoid building with wood.

For centuries, wood has been mankind’s go-to building material. Over the last hundred years or so, however, we’ve been finding new materials and learning that wood is not a preferential when it comes to construction. These days, it is commonly understood that steel can be the best material when it comes to building a bar, off-building, carport, or any other structure. There are many reasons for this, but here are four of the big ones.

To put a fancy word to a straightforward concept, wood is hydroscopic, meaning that it absorbs and loses moisture, causing it to swell and shrink depending on the weather. This can lead to a variety of problems. Cracks appear, doors and windows lose their fit, and nails work their way loose over time.

There are an array of pests that can eat away at and destroy wooden structures, such as mice, rats, powderpost beetles, carpenter ants, carpenter bees, marine borers, and of course the infamous termites.

Wood is terrifically susceptible to mold and fungus, and as anyone who has had to replace a molded out section of their house will tell you, this can be an extensive, time consuming problem. There are also a number of molds and fungi that release harmful spores that can be harmful to humans. And one of the only ways to combat mold is to use various chemical treatments, many of which can, once again, be harmful to people.

This includes every mentioned above, but there are many more things that can lead to deterioration over time. Weather, earthquake, fire, pests, and wear and tear in general are all potential issues when it comes to building with wood. The basic truth is that while wood is a highly malleable an attractive material, it doesn’t have the strength and resilience that should be sought after when building a permanent structure.