Timber construction myths have long cast a shadow over this versatile and sustainable building material. For centuries, timber has been a cornerstone of human civilization, shaping our homes, communities, and infrastructure. Its versatility, renewable nature, and aesthetic appeal have made it a favorite among builders and architects. However, despite its long history and widespread use, timber has often been overshadowed by misconceptions.

Let’s expose these myths and explore the truth about timber as a construction material choice.

3 Timber construction myths discussed

Many myths surrounding its environmental impact, structural reliability, and fire resistance have clouded its true potential as a modern building material.

#1 Timber contributes to deforestation

The belief that all timber harvesting leads to deforestation overlooks the crucial distinction between legal and illegal logging practices for one. When timber is sourced responsibly and follows sustainable forestry principles, it serves as a renewable resource that supports environmental health.

Legal timber harvesting is governed by stringent regulations aimed at preserving forest ecosystems, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring the long-term availability of timber resources. These sustainable practices often include selective logging, reforestation, and the preservation of old-growth forests. Certifications from organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) ensure that these operations meet strict environmental standards, promoting responsible forest management.

On the other hand, illegal logging poses a significant threat to forests worldwide. It involves cutting down trees without proper authorization, ignoring environmental regulations, and often exploiting protected areas. This type of logging leads to rampant deforestation, habitat destruction, and a loss of biodiversity. Therefore it is important to always ensure that you purchase your timber from well trusted, certified suppliers.

#2 Timber is not as strong as other building materials

Contrary to popular belief, timber is a remarkably strong building material. Its cellular structure, composed of tiny, hollow cells, provides exceptional strength relative to its weight. This, combined with the orientation of wood fibres and the timber’s density, contributes to its impressive load-bearing capacity.

While concrete and steel are also strong, timber often surpasses them in terms of strength-to-weight ratio. This means it can span greater distances and support heavier loads while using less material. Additionally, timber’s flexibility can be advantageous in certain conditions, such as earthquake-prone areas.

However, it’s important to consider factors like timber species, moisture content, and proper construction techniques to maximize its strength. When engineered and built correctly, timber can create robust and long-lasting structures.

3# Timber is a Fire hazard

The association of timber with fire hazards often stems from the sight of informal settlements built with wood. However, when used in accordance with building regulations and standards, timber performs well in fire situations. Modern timber construction incorporates fire safety measures, and the material’s slow charring rate can even provide an advantage such as predictions over other materials like steel in certain circumstances. Feel free to read more about this topic here: How timber structures handle fire

It’s crucial to emphasize that the safety of any building, regardless of the material, depends on adherence to building codes and proper construction practices. furthermore, there are fire-retardant products available such as Woodsayf FR which only provides superficial protection to timber against fire or, for more extensive and fully penetrated fire retardant protection, pressure impregnation in timber with FLAMBOR is recommended.

To learn more about how timber handles fire, you can click on the following link: The Wood App

About the durability of timber in construction­

Timber, being a natural material derived from trees, is inherently biodegradable. This means it can decompose over time through natural processes. However, the rate at which this occurs varies significantly depending on several factors.

The species of wood is a primary determinant of timber durability. Hardwoods, generally denser with natural resins, tend to be more resistant to decay compared to softwoods. Softwoods are typically less durable and more susceptible to rot and insect attack.

Having said all this, timber can be exceptionally durable if handled correctly. To enhance timber durability, especially for outdoor applications, chemical treatments like CCA can be applied, specifically to softwoods such as Pine. Hardwoods have natural durable qualities.

However, timber used in dry, indoor environments with minimal exposure to moisture, sunlight, or insects may not require treatment. Regardless of the environment, regular maintenance is crucial for extending timber’s lifespan. Applying sealants as needed can significantly improve the timber’s resistance to weathering and decay, potentially increasing its service life to many decades.

Quality timber for construction at Sabie Poles

We use every effort to create ease of access to all the timber materials our customers may require to successfully complete their projects on schedule without having the concerns of product quality and availability no matter where they are based in the world.

Before we discuss the details of our products, it’s important to know that our timber products are from the SA pine species while our poles are from the Eucalyptus species. We supply our timber CCA treated and untreated. All our products are fully certified, it complies to all SABS standards. CCA treated poles and timber come highly recommended in coastal areas. 

Now, let’s discuss the variety of products we have available:

S5 Construction Timber

Our timber is S5 graded, this means it has undergone rigorous testing and meets strict South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) requirements for strength and quality, making it ideal for load-bearing structures. We have various sizes available.

The applications for our construction timber includes roof trusses, roof support beams, timber frames, floor joists, struts, rafters and other load-bearing applications.

Timber mouldings

Our timber mouldings are treated to hazard class H3, thus, they can be utilized in above-ground, external areas. We have 8 different timber mouldings available, namely;

• Decking
• Ceiling
• Cladding
• Flooring
• Architrave/skirtings
• Quarter-rounds
• Window/Door trimmings
• Window/Door corners

Building and fencing poles

Our poles are treated to hazard class H4 (H5 on request), thus, they can be utilized in in-ground/above-ground external applications. Our poles are ideal for use in thatch roofs, they can be used as piles for timber frames, beams, fences, and many other applications.

Hardwood decking

We supply a range of 7 different hardwood species for decking namely: Jatoba / Itauba / Massaranduba / Garapa / Saligna / yellow Balau / Red Balau

Timber decking screws

Using the correct decking screws is a pivotal part of constructing a durable timber deck. We have written blog about using the correct decking screws which you can read here:

We supply decking screws that are suitable for any environment.

Timber treatments

Both untreated and CCA-treated timber can be sealed, stained, or painted. For optimal results, we recommend using “Timberlife” products, as they are fully compatible with both types of wood. For the sealants, we have 10 tint colours available to match your desired aesthetic. We have the following sealants available;

Timberlife Ultraseal:

Suitable for use on exterior applications such as timber windows and doors.

Timberlife Ultradeck:

Provides extra protection against wear. Ideal for exterior applications such as decks and walkways.

Timberlife CTX 108:

An insecticidal and fungicidal surface treatment for seasoned timber. Also offers protection against discolouring fungi and mold growth.

Timberlife Indeg:

Dissolves and removes oily and waxy substances from previously finished wood.

Timberlife Khuni Sealer:

Protects raw 9uncoated) wood against water ingress, surface degradation and contamination.

No matter where you are, we deliver.

We deliver poles and timber to all SADC Countries which include: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe. We also export to eastern Europe countries. For more information, please feel free to email Danie at sales@sabietimber.co.za.