How long does a wooden house last?
We have put together the most common questions from builders on the subject of timber construction here:
“How long does a wooden house actually last? What is the difference to a solid construction house – does it last longer? „
With a professional construction and quality-oriented execution, a wooden house is very durable.
If the maintenance and renovation measures required for each type of house are carried out, a wooden house will last for several generations without any problems.
„Doesn’t wood quickly rot and mold?“
Wood can only be attacked by wood-destroying fungi or by moisture if it remains intensely moist for several weeks:
molds, e.g. B. need a permanent wood moisture content of at least 30% to survive, technically dried wood and modern wood-based materials are below 10 to a maximum of 20%.
The majority of the wooden house is protected by cladding and roofing anyway.
There are clear planning and application regulations for weathered components such as external wall facades made of wood.
„Is the forest being cut down for wooden houses?“
The wood used for construction timber comes from sustainable forestry, as has been practiced in Germany for centuries.
The maximum amount of wood that can be harvested is the amount that can grow back. All in all, more domestic wood grows each year than is used – so the forests are getting bigger.
„Are there certain types of wood that are particularly durable?“
When weathered, there are actually differences:
The heartwoods of the larch, Douglas fir and oak species are significantly more durable than spruce, pine or beech.
In addition, there are also many very robust types of tropical wood that should only be used in exceptional cases, if at all, to protect the rainforests – there is enough local quality wood.
„Isn’t it necessary to use a lot of chemistry to make wood durable?“
Quite the opposite: in the house construction sector, chemical wood preservatives can now be dispensed with entirely thanks to a sophisticated mix of measures consisting of roofing, cladding, correct construction and the selection of the best types of wood.
This applies to the building itself as well as to balconies and terraces.
In order to prevent structural damage from wood-destroying insects, technically dried wood can be used or the heartwoods of larch, Douglas fir and oak are used – because these have a natural resistance.
„Are there areas in which a wooden house lasts particularly long – or shorter?“
In Germany, the climatic conditions do not differ so significantly that this criterion would have a decisive influence on the service life of a standard-compliant wooden house.
“Is a wooden house very maintenance-intensive? Do you have to spend more on maintaining it than on a conventional house? Does that mean higher costs? „
Every house requires regular care and maintenance to keep the building fabric in good condition.
Roof tiles have to be replaced after a few decades, and any damaged areas on the facade have to be repaired and renovated.
This also applies to wooden components that are exposed to the weather.
If the planned maintenance measures are carried out consistently, there are no differences between wooden structures and other types of house – neither in terms of effort nor maintenance costs.
Fully in the picture instead of on the wrong track
It’s amazing how many prejudices there are still against wooden houses – and how outdated they are.
Do you have another question?
Further information
Wood as a building material of the future – wood is becoming increasingly important as a building material.
The growing social awareness of resource conservation and simultaneous technical developments enable the oldest building material of mankind to come into focus again.
The starting point is the forest as a material supplier.
The increased use of wood creates a “second forest” in our cities and villages and thus a considerable carbon store that relieves our environment.
We are committed to the topic of “building with solid wood” and believe in sustainable and resource-saving construction, both in the public and private sectors.
Building with CLT is an important contribution to climate and environmental protection. CLT is PEFC certified and thus guarantees that we obtain these solid wood elements from sustainably managed forests
Wood has gained importance as a building material that would hardly have been thought possible just a few years ago.
Structural research has brought about major improvements in the fire and noise protection of wooden structures, material developments and computer-aided calculation and manufacturing methods enable completely new forms of design.
In Austria, forest cover makes up more than 48% of the total area, with spruce being the most important tree with a share of 60% and the dominant timber for building and construction.
CLT is made from PEFC-certified softwood as well as from sustainably managed forests and controlled sources.
A PEFC certificate guarantees that CLT is produced according to the highest ecological, social and ethical standards.
We firmly believe that CLT is the building material for a sustainable future. CLT has many advantages over conventional building materials:
- Positive CO2 balance
- Ecological and sustainable construction
- CLT is lighter than concrete or brick
- High insulation and insulation properties
- Excellent fire protection behavior
- Short erection time, easy assembly and a high degree of prefabrication
- Best structural properties and dry construction
- Earthquake-proof construction
- Up to 10% more living space through the use of CLT
- Comfortable and healthy indoor climate
- Excellent for allergy sufferers
- Quality of life in a wooden house is unbeatable
Building as energy and resources as possible is in the interests of everyone.
Wood is available to us in large quantities everywhere – a natural and sustainable raw material of which more continuously grows back than is consumed.
In Austria, so much grows every 40 seconds that a wooden house could be built from it. As a tree grows, it absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
In a building made of solid wood, this carbon is stored for centuries.
At the same time, with the help of solar energy and photosynthesis, new trees grow back and bind more carbon. 1m³ of wood stores about one ton of CO2, so the use of wood makes an active contribution to reducing the greenhouse effect.
And a wooden house that is dismantled after centuries of use does not leave behind unusable rubble, but usable wood.
Individual elements can be reused, residual wood is used for energy purposes.
With a correct construction method in terms of building physics, the service life is not limited to a certain time.
A prerequisite for this is of course appropriate care and upcoming maintenance work to be carried out on time.
The example of old wooden farmhouses shows that a lifespan of several hundred years is not uncommon.
House Bethlehem (picture below left) in Schwyz has survived adversities such as a conflagration and numerous generations of people for 700 years.
Today it is considered the oldest wooden house in Europe.
Experience a healthy and comfortable room climate Wood inspires builders with its smell and the warm surface.
Wood is able to absorb unpleasant odors from the room air.
The building material wood is also known as a climate regulator.
Wood can absorb a great deal of water vapor from the room air and acts as a buffer storage.
When the relative humidity of the ambient air drops, wood can release this stored water vapor back into the room air and thus ensure a comfortable room climate.
The relative humidity in residential buildings should be between 30% and 55%. The properties mentioned above ensure an incomparable room climate in our solid wood houses.