Solid wood is a commonly used material in the construction industry. However, its high cost and perceived unsustainability raise doubts about its usage. Engineered wood, a recently developed technology, acts as a reliable substitute for solid wood and is swiftly being incorporated into many building projects across the world. Read on to learn more about the engineered wood meaning, its properties and applications in construction and understand solid wood vs. engineered wood.
What is Engineered Wood?
Engineered wood is a material made up of different wood portions like fibers, particles, sawdust and strands, which are bonded or glued together. Also referred to as Mass Timber (MT) or manufactured wood, it is typically utilised in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry as a cheaper alternative to solid wood. Despite being misconstrued as artificial wood, this material is actually made up of natural wood (both hard and soft wood) components. Easily available in various forms, shapes and sizes, it is quickly becoming an integral material used in construction projects.
Types of Engineered Wood
- Engineered Plywood: Bonding or gluing together multiple thin veneers of natural wood in layers with alternating grain patterns forms an engineered wood board or plyboard.
- Engineered Wood Sheets: These are formed by combining multiple wood veneers with the grains oriented along the longer direction.
- Oriented Strand Boards (OSB): Wood strands are arranged in layers and bonded together to produce rectangular boards or panels.
- Structural Lumber: Available in various types like parallel strand lumber (PSL), laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and laminated strand lumber (LSL).
- Glulam Timber: Glue laminated timber is available in standard sizes like 2”x4” and 2”x6” (with varying lengths) and can be used as structural rafters, beams and posts.
Benefits of Engineered Wood
Engineered wood has several beneficial properties that make it a desirable material, especially in the field of construction. Some of these are:
- Eco-Friendly: The technique of wood engineering often utilises waste materials leftover from the manufacturing processes of solid wood. Even the parts deemed unsuitable for making solid wood elements for structural purposes are commonly incorporated in engineered wood, making it a sustainable material that reduces deforestation and instead repurposes existing natural components.
- Customisation and Versatility: Unlike solid wood—which is typically available in standard or modular shapes and sizes—engineered wood can be customised to suit specific requirements. Since it can also be made-to-order, it is often designed to be simple and quick to install or process.
- Cost and Availability: As it is easily available across most parts of the world and can even be made-to-order in case it is not available, engineered wood is commonly much cheaper than solid wood. This makes it an affordable material that can be used for large-scale building projects as well as small residences with tight budgets.
- Fire Resistance: Although not completely fire resistant, engineered wood can resist fire better than solid wood. In case of a fire, its outer layer gets charred and protects the inner layers from burning up to a certain extent. However, the material is combustible and generally cannot endure fire for more than a couple of hours.
- Lightweight: Wood that is engineered usually has a very high strength-to-weight ratio. This means that structural components and other products made with engineered wood can be much lighter and smaller in size, while still having the same strength as other building materials like solid wood or concrete.
Limitations of Engineered Wood
Despite the benefits elaborated above, the material has certain drawbacks which may hinder its widespread application. These are:
- Aesthetics: Since engineered wood is made as a composite of multiple parts of wood, the joints between different pieces are sometimes visible. Each piece also has different natural wood patterns and grains, often resulting in a finish which is unlike the clean look of solid wood, especially in lower wood grades.
- Durability: Although more durable than natural solid wood, engineered wood material is still susceptible to damage by moisture and pests like fungi and termites. These can lead to rotting, degradation and decay, requiring immediate replacement to prevent building failure in extreme cases.
- Manufacturing Energy: Solid wood requires only cutting, sawing, polishing and similar basic procedures before forming a finished product. However, engineered wood necessitates various processing techniques—such as subjecting particles to heat and pressure—to join together different elements, thus increasing the energy required for manufacture and causing increased carbon emissions.
- Harmful Components: The adhesives and resins used to glue together the various components of engineered wood are proven to contain harmful substances like formaldehyde. Prolonged exposure to such substances in homes and other usable spaces can lead to health issues like breathing problems and cancer.
Applications of Engineered Wood in Construction
Building Framing
Engineered wood products can be used for structural components like columns, beams, trusses, floor slabs and roofs (as rafters and purlins) in buildings. The high achievable strength and lightweight properties of the material aid in creating efficient building frameworks.
Building Components
Elements like doors and windows can be made using engineered wood. With appropriate treatment for moisture resistance, these elements incorporate enhanced durability and strength, making them suitable for use on both interior and exterior building surfaces. Such elements also retain the look of natural solid wood, while being considerably more cost-effective.
Engineered Wood Flooring
Multiple layers of wood are joined together to form panels that can be used to create engineered wood flooring. By utilising a higher quality of wood as the top layer, bonded to cheaper layers forming the base, this material ensures that a wood-finish floor is obtained in a cost-effective manner without compromising on the finish and quality.
Building Add-Ons
Decorative features of buildings—such as cornices, panelling for entryways and mouldings—can be made with engineered wood. This process is simplified by the material’s customisability, flexibility and mouldability. The material can also be used for acoustic and thermal insulation by increasing its density, which can enable it to absorb sound and heat.
Engineered Wood Products and Furniture
Furniture such as sofas, storage pieces and even kitchen cabinets are increasingly incorporating engineered wood to reduce the cost while maintaining the visual appearance of solid wood. Engineered wood furniture requires lower maintenance as compared to solid wood, and is also less vulnerable to moisture and termites.
Engineered Wood Price
The price of engineered wood is dictated by its local availability, type, specifications required and usage design. Some of the common rates in India for the material are currently:
- Engineered wood flooring: ₹80- ₹10,000 per square foot
- Engineered plywood: ₹60- ₹500 per square foot for 18mm thick panels, ₹40- ₹400 per square foot for 14mm thick panels, ₹80- ₹1000 per square foot for 25 mm panels (Plywood panels are typically available in 8’x4’ size)
- Engineered wood veneer sheets: ₹30- ₹1,000 per square foot (for thicknesses varying from 2 to 4mm)
- Engineered wood doors: ₹200- ₹3,000 per square foot (starting from thicknesses of 15mm and variable based on type, quality and finish)
However, these values are only indicative and variable subject to location, availability, design and changes in market trends.
Ensuring the Best Wood For Your Home
Engineered wood is not very commonly used as a structural material for construction in India. However, the use of engineered wood material for making furniture, doors, windows and non-structural beams, columns and ceilings is rapidly gaining popularity. For ensuring the use of the best quality wood in the construction of your home, contact expert home builders like Brick & Bolt. With 7000+ completed homes and a 10 year structural warranty, Brick & Bolt is a company that has retained its reputation as a leader in the construction industry. Contact Brick & Bolt today and enjoy the process of building your dream home!