USES OF WOOD

Wood is very important in everyday life. Wood has served man from the primitive age till today. Since the olden days, man has used wood for shelter, to cook, to provide warmth for the body and in constructing hunting and musical instruments. The roots, barks and leaves of tress also served as medicine to heal the sick. Wood is also used as chewing stick and toothpicks.
However, in modern times wood has been put to other uses which include the following:
 
1.    Furniture making for homes and offices: we use wood to make beds, tables, chairs, cabinets and other pieces of furniture in homes.
 
2.    Building construction: wood is used to construct windows, doors, doo frames and window frames. We also use wood for the ceiling and roofing of houses, wall paneling, and industrial and office use.
 
3.    Packaging (wood containers): some packaging cases and crates are made of wood. These serve as storage facilities.
 
4.    Construction of joints: many joints are made of wood. A good example is the staircases in our homes.
 
5.    Transport industry: the bodies of some lorries, boat, railway coaches and sleepers are made of wood.
 
6.    Paper and pulp production: a major material for paper and pulp manufacturing is wood. We use paper for printing books, magazines, calendars, diaries, newspapers, etc.
 
7.    Electric poles: some electric poles are made of wood.
 
8.    Handles of implements: wood is a poor conductor of heat and is lighter than metal. It is therefore used to make handles of some tools such as chisels, screwdrivers and hammers. We also use wood to make handles of knives and axes because if its lightness.
 
9.    Heavy construction: things such as bridges, beams, and frameworks of lorries and trucks are made of wood.
 
10.    Carving and sculpture: wood is used in carving and sculpture. You can admire the beauty of carved objects and sculpture wherever they are placed.
 
11.    Sports: wood is used to make sports equipment such as parallel bars, hockey sticks, bats, tennis and squash racket frames.
Why is wood often used instead of metal?
 
Responsibly sourced wood is a renewable, beautiful building material, which helps tackle climate change. It is also durable, versatile and can be cost-effective.

The production and processing of wood uses much less energy than most other building materials, giving wood products a significantly lower carbon footprint. Wood can be used to substitute for materials that require larger amounts of fossil fuels to be produced. In addition, wood products store the carbon that the growing trees have removed from the air.
 
Exercises:
1.    What are five ancient uses of wood?
2.    What are seven modern uses of wood?
3.    Why is wood often used instead of metal?
 
Research:
1.    What is metal?
2.    Mention 3 uses of metals.