Log cottage - a case study

摘要

Wood is considered to be one of the oldest building materials, alongside stone. Although wood is characterized by a lower durability, due to multiple factors, we can say that it has many uses, especially in rural areas, in the proximity of woods. An important reason for using wood as a building material was its lower processing cost. However, we cannot omit the fact that, in today's Romania, due to changes in the forestry legislation, a "wood crises" has been generated, which led to higher costs in purchasing, processing and transport. Over time, wood has proved its qualities as an excellent building material, due to its physical and mechanical properties. It is a good thermic and phonic isolator, it is light and resistant, especially if it has been treated against fire, woodworms and fungi. This paper presents generalities regarding wood as a building material, updated and specific data about a log cottage, highlighting its advantages and disadvantages, its building and production costs. The case study could represent a small guidance for investors, giving, at the same time, an overview of the current availability of the total volume of wood in Romania.