There are many good reasons to love round wood; its timeless style, its warmth, its solidness, and its durability… but one of the best reasons to love round wood, at a time where our choices matter and must be well thought out… is respect for the environment and the positive impact these homes can have on our community and the good they can do when we adopt them.
Fighting climate change, one wood home at a time !
Did you know that by choosing a home built primarily of wood, you’re contributing to the fight against climate change? Wood draws in CO2 naturally, trapping it within. But once they’ve been cut down, trees don’t release what they’ve taken in.
This process, known as atmospheric carbon sequestration, allows us to offset the imbalance in the carbon cycle !
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a typical log home measuring 1200 square feet stores 51 metric tonnes of CO2 and prevents the production of 102 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases. To make a simple comparison, the IPCC estimates that the CO2 stored is equal to the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by 32 cars over the course of one year !
By using wood as the primary structural element, rather than steel or wood, we as consumers, contribute towards cleaning the air and reducing the environmental impact of the construction materials chosen. This means that by choosing to construct a Scandinavian style log home or even a traditional Timber Frame, we can do our part to fight climate change and clean up our cities and forests.
Fight depression with pine !
Naturally, we know that spending time in the forest makes you happier and favours peace and more restful sleep. From experience, we know that nature is a great place to recharge, and that’s what keeps us coming back.
Science confirms what our heart tells us, and what we feel. Being in the woods is good for us, and the more our stress levels rise, the more we need to recoup. Japanese physician and researcher, Qing Li, examines the effects of spending time in the forest in his book Forest Bathing, How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness. Spending time in the forest reduces stress, anxiety, depression and anger, reinforces the immune system, improves cardiovascular health and metabolism and contributes generally to our well-being. In short, where there are trees is where we’re healthiest and happiest, and that’s not because of exercise like hiking or running. It’s just because we’re among nature.
If it’s that simple, can we understand that living in a wood home, which also immerses us in the peace and quiet of nature, can make us happier? It can certainly help explain the enthusiasm for the log homes and cabins we build, which bring happiness to so many families.
There’s something reassuring, motivating even, in knowing that the walls of our log home bring happiness, in addition to being a remarkable architectural element !