Solid wood
Encyclopedia
Solid wood is a term most commonly used to distinguish between ordinary lumber
and engineered wood
, but it also refers to structures that do not have hollow spaces. Engineered wood products are manufactured by binding together wood
strands, fibers, or veneers
with adhesive
s to form a composite material
. Engineered wood includes plywood
, oriented strand board
(OSB) and fiberboard
. The fact that a product is made from solid wood is often touted in advertisements. However, using solid wood has advantages and disadvantages.
or vinyl
. It is also more attractive than oriented strand board, which is rarely used where it can be seen. Plywood has a similar look to wood, but its layered structure is visible on the ends.
Solid wood is stronger than fiberboard, but not as strong as plywood or oriented strand board. Many engineered woods disintegrate if gotten wet, unlike solid wood.
One of the most important disadvantages of solid wood is its significant cost. Engineered wood can be made from waste material like sawdust
and chips, but solid wood requires large sections of wood that are relatively free from defects. Composite wood can also be made with tree
s that have soft or hard wood.
travels more freely through them, which can be a problem if the house is noisy or the occupants desire a lot of privacy. Also, hollow core doors should not be used as doors to the outside because they can more easily be broken open by robbers. Solid wood doors are slightly more fire
resistant because the fire has to burn through more material, however, using a steel
door will increase fire resistance by a much larger margin.
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
and engineered wood
Engineered wood
Engineered wood, also called composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured board; includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding the strands, particles, fibers, or veneers of wood, together with adhesives, to form composite materials...
, but it also refers to structures that do not have hollow spaces. Engineered wood products are manufactured by binding together wood
Wood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
strands, fibers, or veneers
Wood veneer
In woodworking, veneer refers to thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 3 mm , that are typically glued onto core panels to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and panels for cabinets, parquet floors and parts of furniture. They are also used in marquetry...
with adhesive
Adhesive
An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials...
s to form a composite material
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
. Engineered wood includes plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
, oriented strand board
Oriented strand board
Oriented strand board, also known as OSB and SmartPly , is an engineered wood product formed by layering strands of wood in specific orientations. In appearance, it may have a rough and variegated surface with the individual strips Oriented strand board, also known as OSB (UK) and SmartPly (UK &...
(OSB) and fiberboard
Fiberboard
Fiberboard is known as low density fiberboard is a type of engineered wood product that is made out of wood fibers. Types of fiberboard include particle board, medium-density fiberboard, and hardboard. Fiberboard is sometimes used as a synonym for particle board, but particle board usually refers...
. The fact that a product is made from solid wood is often touted in advertisements. However, using solid wood has advantages and disadvantages.
Comparison with engineered wood
Perhaps the greatest advantage of solid wood is appearance. Most people consider it more attractive than fiberboard, which is sometimes enhanced with a solid wood veneer or other overlays, such as formicaFormica (plastic)
Formica is a brand of composite materials manufactured by the Formica Corporation now based in Newcastle, Tyne & Wear, a division of the New Zealand company Fletcher Building. In common use, the term refers to the company's classic product, a heat-resistant, wipe-clean, plastic laminate of paper or...
or vinyl
Vinyl
A vinyl compound is any organic compound that contains a vinyl group ,which are derivatives of ethene, CH2=CH2, with one hydrogen atom replaced with some other group...
. It is also more attractive than oriented strand board, which is rarely used where it can be seen. Plywood has a similar look to wood, but its layered structure is visible on the ends.
Solid wood is stronger than fiberboard, but not as strong as plywood or oriented strand board. Many engineered woods disintegrate if gotten wet, unlike solid wood.
One of the most important disadvantages of solid wood is its significant cost. Engineered wood can be made from waste material like sawdust
Sawdust
Sawdust is a by-product of cutting lumber with a saw, composed of fine particles of wood. It can present a hazard in manufacturing industries, especially in terms of its flammability....
and chips, but solid wood requires large sections of wood that are relatively free from defects. Composite wood can also be made with tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s that have soft or hard wood.
Solid wood vs. hollow wood
One of the most frequently made hollow wood structures are hollow core doors. Hollow core doors are much lighter than solid wood doors, cheaper and are easier to install. However, soundSound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
travels more freely through them, which can be a problem if the house is noisy or the occupants desire a lot of privacy. Also, hollow core doors should not be used as doors to the outside because they can more easily be broken open by robbers. Solid wood doors are slightly more fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
resistant because the fire has to burn through more material, however, using a steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
door will increase fire resistance by a much larger margin.