Give Your Customers the Forest Facts It pays to reassure your customers that the wood you buy comes from an abundant renewable resource. But did you know that North American forests cover about the same area of land as they did 100 years ago? For more information on forests and sustainability, please click here

Why Wood is Good - Fire Safety       For many years, people thought the secret to fire safety was to construct buildings with materials that don't burn. However, several catastrophic fires proved it's not that easy. Although building codes can reasonably control building materials and systems, they can't control the furnishings, appliances and everything else that goes inside. In fact, statistics show that most injuries and fatalities result from the inhalation of smoke generated by a building's contents — which usually burn long before the structure. The Slow Burn In terms of fire, North Americans are just as safe in a wood framed home as they are in a home framed with steel or concrete. For one thing, most wood is hidden behind fire-resistant drywall, which is highly effective not only at shielding the structural materials, but reducing the fire's access to oxygen (which it needs to spread). Heavier timbers also offer their own natural defense, forming a char that protects their core strength — usually long enough for the fire to be extinguished. On the other hand, steel and concrete don't burn, but steel becomes weak and buckles at high temperatures, and concrete can release large amounts of smoke from the insulation used in concrete form construction. For additional information about fire safety, visit: Fire Safety in Residential Buildings How to Choose a Smoke Detector National Fire Protection Association Fire Protection in the Home Fire Safety Institute Why Wood is Good Energy Efficiency Environmental Benefits Structural Integrity Fire Safety