Water and wood are ultimately connected in profoundly fundamental ways. Trees as living organisms have their structure determined by the acquisition, transport, and use of water. When harvested, lumber must be dried and seasoned to the moisture levels sufficient for use. When installed and in service, wood must be protected from moisture, and the various deleterious effects of moisture must be controlled. And in the most fundamental chemical processes of photosynthesis, the very solid matter of wood itself is formed from carbon dioxide in the air and water in the ground. The story of wood and water are inseparable, as inseparable as the stories of water and life are more broadly. Wood is ultimately formed from carbon dioxide and water, and thermodynamically, it will always seek to return to those base forms. Wood is formed from water and air, and in time, through one path or another, to water and air it will return. It should be our goal to understand these processes. And in doing so, to learn to use wood most effectively and to extend the brief window of time that wood remains in such a useful form. Eventually all wood products will find a way back to their original form. And if done right, such limited time will be sufficient for human needs. No wood or wood product will last forever, but neither do humans or human needs. But properly designed, wooden structures may last long enough for human needs. In time both will fade, and they will find their page in a story longer than history itself. From water; to water. Of water; by water. Such is the nature of wood and water.
Reminds me of something I wrote awhile ago…
Water and wood are ultimately connected in profoundly fundamental ways. Trees as living organisms have their structure determined by the acquisition, transport, and use of water. When harvested, lumber must be dried and seasoned to the moisture levels sufficient for use. When installed and in service, wood must be protected from moisture, and the various deleterious effects of moisture must be controlled. And in the most fundamental chemical processes of photosynthesis, the very solid matter of wood itself is formed from carbon dioxide in the air and water in the ground. The story of wood and water are inseparable, as inseparable as the stories of water and life are more broadly. Wood is ultimately formed from carbon dioxide and water, and thermodynamically, it will always seek to return to those base forms. Wood is formed from water and air, and in time, through one path or another, to water and air it will return. It should be our goal to understand these processes. And in doing so, to learn to use wood most effectively and to extend the brief window of time that wood remains in such a useful form. Eventually all wood products will find a way back to their original form. And if done right, such limited time will be sufficient for human needs. No wood or wood product will last forever, but neither do humans or human needs. But properly designed, wooden structures may last long enough for human needs. In time both will fade, and they will find their page in a story longer than history itself. From water; to water. Of water; by water. Such is the nature of wood and water.