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The magic of wood in the housing industry
If one wants to build the whole house with wood, it should be treated with used oil to avoid termite infestation.
Hard and soft wood contribute to the beauty of buildings, writes Sarah Tumwebaze
At some point, all of us have to use something that is made of wood. It can be a piece of furniture like a stool or a chair; it might be the floor of the house which is made of timber. Timber has a number of uses, one of the most common ones being a source of fuel. Also, wood is used for cooking.
Wood importance
Mr Wahabu Kabunga who sells timber at Bwaise Jjambula, says besides cooking, timber is used in construction, especially to make the roof of the house. “After building the wall of a house, they put a piece of timber which is normally four by two inches wide on top of the wall. Then they start making the roof. However, when making the roof, they use timber of three by two inches wide, but all of them have a standard length of 14 metres,” he explains.
Mr Kabunga adds that the other uses of timber are making furniture like sofa sets, coffee tables, office furniture, side boards and cupboards. However, all of these are made of different types of wood which is either hard or soft.
Timber types
Hard wood
According to Mr Joshua Tahebwa who also sells timber at Ndeeba, the different types of hardwood are mahogany which is durable and it neither swells nor shrinks. He explains that this type is mainly used to make wooden furniture like tables.
The other type is the walnut which almostly has the same strength like mahogany. “It resists shrinking and can be used for all kinds of finishing. It is mostly used for furniture, kitchen cabinets and sitting room cabinets,” he says. Oak is also considered to be hard wood and Mr Tahebwa says apart from being durable, it can easily be bent, it resists moisture absorption and it is good for furniture and floors.
The other type of hard wood is maple which is strong and hard with limited shrinking, it is best used for floors and furniture. Cherry is also hard wood which resists shrinking. It gets red when exposed to sunlight, and looks better with age; it is used in making cabinets. The other types of hard wood are rose wood, teak and shesham.
Soft wood
The common types of softwood are pine which is easy to use due to it is softness, so the nails can easily penetrate it. Pine does not shrink, swell or mould. It is mainly used in constructing houses, furniture and molding. Hemlock, spruce and fir, which are other type of soft wood have a low resistance to decay, but they are mainly used for construction, doors, windows, boards, floors, frames, and plywood.
Red wood and cedar have a natural resistance to decay and are good for making outdoor furniture, fencing and closet lining. Other types of wood which are neither in the category of hard or soft wood are plywood, chipboard and MDF boards. Mr Tahebwa says these types of wood are mainly used for interior items like cupboards and shelves.
Wood properties
He explains that they are made by wooden sheeting which is mainly measured according to its thickness which ranges from four mm to 24 mm. Before buying timber, there are certain aspects you need to consider like the purpose of the timber.
“If you know that you are buying timber which is meant to be used for the roof of the house, it’s important that the timber is soft like pine, cider, fir and spruce because these types of wood easily allow nails to penetrate them unlike the hard wood. In case the timber is meant for making furniture, you are free to use any type of wood which can either be soft, or hard,” Mr Tahebwa explains.
He adds that whatever purpose one intends to use the timber for, it should be well dried because if used when not dry, it will start cracking after some time, especially when used in construction and this might lead the roof of the house to collapse. Mr Jonathan Kivumbi, a sales man at Bwaise Jjambula says in case it is used for furniture, wet timber will start moulding after sometime.
Maintenance tips
He advises that before using timber, it is better to first treat it. “It’s important to treat timber before using it, especially types like hemlock, spruce and fir which have a low resistance to decay and the most common type of treatment is the use of used vehicle oil. This prevents the wood from moulding and it also keeps away termites.” According to www.wiki.com, wood is a beautiful material used for building a wide variety of items. However, its main limitation is the fact that it is prone to rot, insect and water damage.
All of these problems can be minimised or completely avoided by the proper application of a variety of products designed to cover or soak into the wood. Depending on the look you desire, you might choose paint, stain oil or varnish.
Buying guide
* 14 metres of any type of timber ranges from Shs33,000 to Shs55,000 depending on its type.
* One litre of used oil costs Shs1,500.
* A five litre can of varnish cost Shs50,000.
* A five litre jerry can of paint ranges from Shs40,000 to Shs70,000.
