As the world crosses the quarter mark of the 21st century, many people are taking a closer look at the impact of their actions and how they can reduce their carbon footprint and their environmental impact.
One of the best ways to positively change the net effect of your carbon footprint is to use durable building materials that are sourced from renewable resources. When you are considering different material types for the doors of your home, it is important to know that oak is the most environmentally friendly and sustainable option available.
Maria from Doors Galore says: “It is well known that oak is a beautiful and durable wood that is well-suited to use as the material for the doors of your home but how could choosing oak reduce your environmental footprint?”
How Can Oak Doors Affect My Environmental Footprint?
When searching for sustainable materials, look no further than oak to provide you with what you need. How do oak doors contribute to a better and more environmentally friendly future?
Energy Consumption
When you use an oak door, you are reducing your energy consumption in two ways. One, you are choosing a material that requires less processing than other door types, reducing the energy consumed in the production of the product. Secondly, oak is a great insulator, helping you keep the ideal temperature in your home, further reducing the energy you are using.
Chemical Waste
The production of metal and PVC doors can lead to harmful waste products that are difficult to process and toxic to the environment. Oak doors do not contribute to this problem.
Wood is a Renewable Material
Renewable materials such as oak can be sustainably sourced and regrown, replacing the oak that was used years ago with new-growth oak. This plant, grow, harvest, use and replant cycle is a great way to ensure that there will always be enough oak to meet the demand, without putting too much strain on the environment.
Biodegradable Material
Sustainable woods such as oak, once their productive life cycle is coming to an end (which when properly taken care of is a very long time) can be broken down, eventually becoming biodegradable.
Benefits of Sustainably Sourced Oak Doors
While the environmental benefits of choosing oak doors are quite clear, understandably, many people ask if there are other benefits that they can expect when they invest in oak doors for their homes. Absolutely there are!
Savings: Reductions in Energy Consumption
Because of the nature of oak and its insulating properties, it will help to reduce the need for cooling in the summer and heating in the winter, reducing energy consumption and saving you money on your energy bills.
Peace of Mind: Wood is Traceable
Responsibly managed forests are well documented, with NGOs like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) providing endorsements of forest certification. This third-party certification ensures that the practices and procedures fall in line with sustainably managed forest guidelines. That way, you can be certain that your oak door, with its FSC certification, is truly sustainable.
Added Value: Home Values Increase with Oak Doors
The housing market perceives oak doors favourably because of all of their amazing properties and their ability to add value to your home. Home buyers like to feel like they are making environmentally friendly decisions when buying their home and just like using renewable energy sources to power their home, choosing responsibly sourced oak doors helps them know they are making a difference.
Oak Doors: the Eco-Friendly Choice
Between how oak is grown and processed, its durability and effectiveness as an insulator, and its timeless beauty, it is easily the best, most eco-friendly option for doors available today.