# Is there any alternative material that could replace or reduce the amount of timber we use? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411 "2011-11-09T17:53:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/1 "2011-11-09T17:53:11Z")
I’d like to know if there is any building material that could replace, or be used in place of I should say, wood. Since the production of wood destroys habitats and such, is there anything we could use to subsidize it? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/2 "2011-11-09T17:55:28Z")
Hemp? [Or so I’ve read.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp#Building_material) ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/3 "2011-11-09T18:01:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Concrete-like blocks made with hemp and lime have been used as an insulating material for construction. Such blocks are not strong enough to be used for structural elements; they must be supported by a brick, wood, or steel frame It seems hemp may be used, but takes the place of concrete moreso than the wood, and needs a frame (probably made out of wood) to support it still. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/4 "2011-11-09T18:02:38Z")
I assume you mean “sustitute for it” rather than “subsidize it”? There are a number of materials that could and are used in its stead, e.g. steel, concrete, brick. Lumber is relatively cheap in the U.S. though, so it tends to be chosen over the others, in residential building at least. Many commercial buildings are built using minimal lumber, so clearly it is possible. In other parts of the world where timber is less plentiful, those non-wood alternatives are used more predominantly. ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/5 "2011-11-09T18:05:50Z")
What I’m really looking for is a material that could be used (as a substitute, thank you,) to reduce the amount of timber we use IN ORDER to reduce habitat destruction/deforestation. For example, I’ve heard of some composite materials that people are now using in place of wood to build things like decks. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/6 "2011-11-09T18:07:23Z")
If we lose sustainable forestry, which is used to supply building supplies for framing and such, what do you think they will replace the sustainable forest with? Sort of like the rush to stop using real Christmas trees. All the out-of-business Christmas tree farms near me are now just housing developments. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/7 "2011-11-09T18:11:10Z")
There are always substitutes, but not anywhere near the cost of wood. Besides, wood is renewable. Forests also get destroyed naturally by wildfires. Last time I checked we had no shortage of wood. ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/8 "2011-11-09T18:16:25Z")
I’m not trying to say there is a shortage of wood, or find something to completely replace it. I’d just like to know if there is anything like that available. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/9 "2011-11-09T18:16:52Z")
Exactly. Wood is pretty green, as far as building materials go. Unlike concrete, which release vast amounts of carbon dioxide in its manufacture, trees absorb CO[sub]2[/sub] as they grow and lock it into their structure. Trees for lumber and such are fast-growing softwoods which are farmed commercially and replanted, just like any other crop. Sure, they may have replaced old-growth forests initially, but once the lumber forests are there, they’re there so we may as well keep using them. What would you rather have, a whole bunch of pine forest, which can at least be used for leisure and does provide some kind of wildlife habitat, or a swath of cookie-cutter housing? ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/10 "2011-11-09T19:05:57Z")
Bamboo is one option. Amazingly strong, grows fast, and versatile. The composites they’re using for decks are usually polymers mixed with wood leftovers (sawdust). ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/11 "2011-11-09T19:18:35Z")
> [@may\_be\_ignorant](#): > > I’m not trying to say there is a shortage of wood, or find something to completely replace it. I’d just like to know if there is anything like that available. Okay, go back and look at your OP. You were clearly going down the ‘using wood hurts forests’ route, but now you are abandoning that flawed premise and seek only ‘‘alternatives’’? Well, it’s been done with concrete, plastic, metal and stone. it can still be done with these materials, and probably ceramics, too. Now the key word is ‘replace’. Replace wood? Well, using something instead of it… then sure, but you won’t replace wood with something that makes more sense right now. Right now, wood is king… and there is no close contender just yet. “Other” materials? Sure… but viable replacement? Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/12 "2011-11-09T19:18:52Z")
Recycled plastic is used for railroad ties. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/13 "2011-11-09T19:26:10Z")
> [@Sudden\_Kestrel](#): > > Bamboo is one option. Amazingly strong, grows fast, and versatile. > > The composites they’re using for decks are usually polymers mixed with wood leftovers (sawdust). I was going to say bamboo also, it’s actually a grass and very easy to grow too (and very hard to get rid of). And also in this post engineered wood materials from wood scraps + basically petroleum products do stretch out the use of wood. ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/14 "2011-11-09T19:50:16Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Okay, go back and look at your OP. You were clearly going down the ‘using wood hurts forests’ route, but now you are abandoning that flawed premise and seek only ‘‘alternatives’’? > > Well, it’s been done with concrete, plastic, metal and stone. it can still be done with these materials, and probably ceramics, too. > > Now the key word is ‘replace’. Replace wood? Well, using something instead of it… then sure, but you won’t replace wood with something that makes more sense right now. Right now, wood is king… and there is no close contender just yet. “Other” materials? Sure… but viable replacement? Nope. Easy killer, I’m not taking a stand on anything, I’m asking a question. Go sweat in the pit or something with that attitude. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/15 "2011-11-09T20:06:17Z")
In certain environments adobe could be used. Of course in most modern construction a standard wood frame is coated with a layer of stucco to complete the look, which means that is probably still cheaper. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/16 "2011-11-09T20:12:29Z")
Another vote for bamboo. It can grow FEET in a single day. The “wood” produced from bamboo is extremely attractive and it’s considered a “green” choice. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/17 "2011-11-09T20:46:54Z")
> [@](#): > > Another vote for bamboo. It can grow FEET in a single day. Multiple feet would be an extreme case, but yeah. Those segments that you see in bamboo? Each segment is a day’s growth. And plastic lumber (made from recycled milk jugs and such) is pretty widespread nowadays, too. I’m surprised the OP hasn’t encountered it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/18 "2011-11-09T21:42:18Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Recycled plastic is used for railroad ties. Other stuff too - park benches, fencing, pallets, etc where quality of finish isn’t a huge criterion, mixed-polymer recycled plastic can be used. Expanded polytsyrene can be recycled into a fibrous material with a grain quite like wood - and this is sometimes used for garden trellis, baskets, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/19 "2011-11-09T21:47:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Those segments that you see in bamboo? Each segment is a day’s growth. I don’t think this is correct. The nodes are just part of the structure of the plant, not growth milestones. If you look at a [sliced bamboo shoot](http://www.agriculturesource.com/p-canned-winter-bamboo-shoots-1089448.html), you can see all the nodes packed in the shoot, ready to go. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411/20 "2011-11-09T22:51:40Z")
> [@may\_be\_ignorant](#): > > Easy killer, I’m not taking a stand on anything, I’m asking a question. Go sweat in the pit or something with that attitude. But your question has to be asked in a context in order to make sense. For example – plastic makes a pretty good wood replacement in a lot of cases. They make decks out of it now instead of teak or redwood. But I doubt they’re doing it out of ecological consciousness. It’s done because it’s cheap and it doesn’t rot. On the downside, it requires petroleum products (although possibly recycled) and energy to make these products. And…when the deck or whatever is past its usefulness, the materials are still going to be there, still not rotting. Buildings can be made out of concrete and steel. But if you think those are any less damaging to the environment, well, probably not. I’ve seen mountains removed in order to make concrete. And steel requires a lot of coal or other energy to smelt. Let’s not even talk about the energy required to produce aluminum siding. Any agricultural product you replace wood with is going to require truly massive amounts of horticulture. Which likely means plowing down the forests to make room for the new crop. On the other hand, you have wood which grows pretty much for free anywhere on the eastern side of the Mississippi, in the Pacific Northwest, and in Canada. It’s sustainable, at least reasonably carbon neutral (you still have to cut it and cart it) and biodegradable. And the byproducts are useful for making paper and fuel. Perhaps the question you should be asking is whether we can harvest wood in a more ecologically sensitive manner? And the answer is probably yes. There is one substance I am aware of that can almost completely replace wood and steel as a structural element, that’s nearly free, and almost completely without environmental consequences. [You just have to like it chilly.](http://www.icehotel.com/uk/ICEHOTEL/) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-alternative-material-that-could-replace-or-reduce-the-amount-of-timber-we-use/602411.md?page=2)