Other types of timber like oak and pine are also very useful for building things in our daily life.

The advantage of using timber product is that they are environmentally friendly, as they do not release harmful (toxic) gases into our atmosphere.

You would assume that by cutting down trees to produce the timber for our products, we are reducing the number of trees on our planet.

The good news is that many wood producing companies are now planting more and more trees to replace those that are cut down.

Growing more trees protects the environment by absorbing the huge amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, and releasing oxygen (O2) that we use to breathe.

Scientists have further found that young healthy trees breathe in more CO2 and release more O2 than older trees.

Trees such as the Oak tree have been on this planet for centuries and have a lot of value to humans, both as a source of wood, and for cultural reasons.

Oak wood is very strong and hard, and is not usually attacked by insects and fungus like most other types of timber.

There are types of oak, such as red oak, and white oak. Red oak is strong and hard and does not decay easily. It is quite good for building things although sometimes it chips.

White oak is strong hard wood that is very solid. It lasts long and is best used with machines, because it is tough to be worked on with hand tools.

Most often, red oaks are used for musical instruments, furniture, cabinets, plywood, flooring, boxes and even coffins.

White oaks are often used to make outdoor furniture, baskets and boats.

One of the biggest risks of oak trees is that it is at risk of developing the ‘sudden oak death’, which is a water mold that attacks and kills the tree within a few weeks.

Pine trees are another type of timber that is used to build things. It is a fast growing pyramid shaped tree, like your Christmas tree.

They are strong plants that survive extremely long and tough winters, and the long pine needles, which store water in them, help them during these times.

Pine trees are called evergreens because their needles stay green the whole year round and they are considered to be commercially very important.

They are used especially for their wood, but also for their wood pulp. The pine wood is used to make picture frames, furniture, wall and floor wood panelling, and even for roofs.

The wood pulp is used to make paper and is made from softwood trees like spruce, pine, and fir, and some hardwood trees like eucalyptus, aspen and birch.

The wood mill takes all the wood chips and other pieces of wood and converts them into a thick fibre board. It is then shipped to paper mills for the rest of the processing.