Wood

Wood

Because wood is the No.1 building material

Wood has been used by man since we first appeared on Earth. It has helped significantly towards survival, and has contributed to the development of civilization. It is found in almost all countries of the world and is a renewable raw material, updated constantly and does not run out, unlike fossil fuels, oil, ores and coal, which are steadily depleted.
Currently, wood antagonists are: aluminium, plastic, cement and steel. Wood has and always will continue to have advantages over its competitors.
 
Advantages of wood:
  • Reproduced by nature, it’s a renewable raw material
  • It has great aesthetic value, as it’s available in many colourcombinations and designs.
  • It’s a 'hot' material with special tactile and visual benefits (compare wooden furniture with metal or plastic furniture).
  • It is an excellent building material with large manufacturing capabilities and architectural value.
  • It has high mechanical strength relative to its weight. Is an insulating material to heat and electricity.
  • Non staining.
  • Treatment is relatively easy and requires little power consumption.
  • Doesn’t pollute the environment
 
An example of the lifespan of wood, can be found in Athos. Monasteries built 1000 years ago with only soils, stone and wood. Wood there serves as
the connecting module, aesthetic and seismic (there are monasteries with 10-11 floors which have had minimal maintenance over the years).
In Greece in previous decades, wood was not as treasured as it should have been, and was in fact shunned. Traditional settlements expanded without traditional materials and they lost their aesthetic beauty and style. Irecent years, mainly in countries like America and northern Europe, wood has regained the position it deserves and it’s the No.1 building material in buildings with visible structures or those of a large scale, e.g. bridges, dams, commercial centres. In our country, the same trend has
begun. For Kritikoswood wood it’s a way of life and an artistic expression. After all, it is intertwined with our traditions and culture, hence the term 'wood craftsman'.