Contrary to popular belief, wood is an excellent fire resistant. Here are three reasons for this affirmation: the thermal conductivity is much reduced, the water content, the carbonized crust, represent an insulating layer that reduces the combustion at maximum. Among these, during a fire, a fire structure loses the lift capacity slower than a steel or concrete steel structure. The wood transmits the heat 10 times slower than concrete and 250 times slower than steel. Besides, by combustion, wood does not release toxic gases.
In Europe, the firemen and insurance agents know that the wood is insulating. In Switzerland the firemen authorize the use of the wood in the constructions of protection against fire. Regarding the European insurance agents, they have never registered a damage tax claim by fire for private wood houses. To put an open fireplace in a wood house is not a heresy. It is enough that the hot area be disposed according to the security regulations and the installation made by a specialist. In all open fireplaces, the faucet and the fire box are perfectly insulated by the wood structure and the carpentry. The ground surface, where the fireplace or the stove is built, as well as the nearest wall are fireproof. Then the utility itself, either an open or a closed fireplace is manufactured of fireproof materials that correspond to the safety regulations – some principles are however imposed to all types of constructions.
Well protected wood resists well to the biological warfare
If all the rules of the art of construction are respected - the wood election, the certificated treatments for the resinous, quality processing, etc – the wood structure of a personal house is perfect and definitely protected against the insects and the xylophages’ larvae. The parasitic mushrooms grow in the areas where the wood maintains a humidity of more than 20% and the temperature oscillates between 20 and 38ºC. A faulty airing, the absence of the light, an alkaline medium and a permanent humidity are aggravating agents. The competent constructors emphasize on the importance of the techniques that favour the quickly water draining from the surfaces.
Another argument to the wood resistance is given by the use of the specific species, namely the election of the natural hard species, for instance: the oak, the sweet chestnut tree, the pine, the fir, the larch do not need any treatment, because they are resistant to insects and xylophages larva by their own structure. Regarding the interior of the house, the carpentry wood processed at small calibres (wainscots, parquet) does not require any treatment. The panels from wood waste - the reduced thickness and the used adhesives - impede the proliferation of any type of insects.