Beautiful and Versatile
No other building material showcases the beauty of nature, radiates warmth and adds
value the way wood does. It can be used for outdoor applications such as stairs,
railings, decking and fences, which provide beauty and add market value. Exterior
wood features like gables, posts, railings, pergolas, roof brackets and awnings add
architectural appeal and market value to multi-family structures.
The use of wood for interior flooring, finishing, trim and cabinetry is regarded as
a sign of quality and even luxury. Wood finishings add beauty and warmth, while wood
floors are easier to maintain than carpets, and do not attract dust and mites.
Wood helps create architecturally expressive corporate statements and unique retail
environments. Exposed heavy timber beams, wood window frames, wood flooring, panelling
and cabinetry often create dramatic, exciting commercial spaces such as restaurants,
high-end retail stores and signature corporate offices. Glulam can be produced in
curved shapes, giving designers and builders strength with virtually unlimited design
flexibility.
Many public transportation projects such as rapid transit stations and airport
terminals are using engineered wood products for their large roofs and canopies.
Designers used composite wood-and-steel ribbing to create an elegant, efficient and
safe design for an award-winning rapid transit rail station
in the Vancouver area.
Wood products are being used in innovative ways in facilities for the 2010 Olympic and
Paralympic Winter Games, being hosted by Vancouver. The Richmond Speed Skating Oval
will feature a roof with a unique wave design using arched trusses and rafters and a
curvature in the surface panels that will create a rippled appearance. When completed,
the roof will feature one of the longest clear spans in North America.
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Exterior Wood Products
From the distinctive look of cedar to the sturdiness of Douglas fir and pine, exterior
wood products from British Columbia assure quality and durability wherever they are
used. Products manufactured from British Columbia's diverse species include siding,
roofing, exterior trim and decking.
British Columbia provides a range of wood fencing products from low picket to solid
board. Fencing poles, pickets and boards are available in a variety of wood species,
and can be installed in their natural state or stained, primed or painted.
British Columbia also produces wood poles that are durable, safe to use and easy to
handle, store and install. They include poles used as pilings, mining-timbers, telephone
poles, electric power line poles and telegraph poles.
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Semi-finished Products
British Columbia companies provide raw stock for remanufacturing, such as laminated
and furniture cutstock, kiln strips, pallet stock and fence panels, pressure-treated
and specialty lumber, window stock and wood blocks.
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Finished Wood Products
Finished wood products refers to wood which has been manufactured or worked into a
value-added product for a specific use, such as doors, windows, furniture, cabinetry,
mouldings and pre-fabricated structures.
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Specialty Wood Products
British Columbia produces many specialty wood products from a diverse variety of species.
These include wooden toys, musical instruments, and kitchenware such as bowls and platters,
carvings and craft products. These products demonstrate a high level of craftsmanship, and
are in high demand internationally.
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Composite Wood Products
Composite materials are an example of new products being developed in British Columbia
through research and technology. These products are often manufactured from fibre, and
are crafted for strength, durability, or other desired qualities.
Medium density fibreboard (MDF), a wood-based composite material that uses wood fibres
to produce board or sheet products, is increasingly used in areas such as furniture
manufacturing, cabinetry, joinery, shelving, craftwork and even flooring. Its advantages
include high strength, ease of machining, good weathering properties, a smooth surface
and clean edge, and an ability to be made from a wide variety of fibrous products.
Particleboard, a composite panel product that typically consists of wood particles of
various sizes bonded together with a synthetic resin or binder under heat and pressure,
is widely used in the manufacture of furniture, cabinets, floor underlay, laminate
flooring, stair treads, shelving and many other products. It provides consistent quality
and design flexibility.
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Sources
BC Wood Specialties Group, www.bcwood.com
Canadian Wood Council,
www.cwc.ca
CertiWood, www.certiwood.com
FPInnovations-Forintek, www.forintek.ca
Richmond Oval, www.richmond.ca/discover/events/oval/oval.htm
Western Red Cedar Lumber Association, www.wrcla.org