When you think of a house, you’re probably thinking of wood, a natural building material used in framing, flooring, and roofing for centuries. Also known as timber, it’s strong, easy to work with, and widely available—but it’s not invincible. In homes across the UK, wood is where problems hide: rot from moisture, warping from poor drying, and even termite damage if not treated right. It’s not just about picking lumber off a shelf. The kind of wood, how it’s dried, and where it’s used make all the difference.
Structural wood, like the beams holding up your roof or the floor joists under your feet, needs to be graded and treated for load-bearing use. You won’t see it, but if it’s been exposed to water during construction or leaks over time, it can weaken without warning. That’s why foundation cracks and sagging floors—topics covered in several posts here—are often tied back to wood failure. Even in new builds, rushed drying times mean wood still holds moisture when walls go up, leading to mold, swelling, or long-term decay. And while insulation and ventilation get all the attention, the wood behind them is what actually holds everything together.
Wood isn’t just structural—it’s also in your cabinets, trim, and flooring. But not all wood is the same. Softwood like pine is common in framing, while hardwoods like oak are used for finishes because they’re denser and more resistant to wear. Pressure-treated wood resists rot and insects, but it’s not always safe for indoor use unless labeled for interior applications. And if you’ve ever seen a warped door frame or a squeaky floor, that’s wood changing shape because of humidity swings. The same issues show up in loft conversions and kitchen remodels, where wood is cut, moved, and stressed in ways builders don’t always plan for.
What you’ll find in these posts isn’t a list of wood types or how to stain it. It’s about what goes wrong, why it happens, and how it connects to bigger problems in your home. From foundation damage caused by wet wood supports to new builds that develop mold because wood was installed too soon, these articles show how wood is at the center of many construction failures. You’ll learn how to spot trouble before it becomes expensive, what to ask contractors about the wood they’re using, and why some repairs fail because they only fix the surface—not the material underneath.
Wood isn’t magic. It’s a living material that reacts to its environment. Treat it right, and it lasts decades. Ignore it, and it becomes the reason your house isn’t safe anymore. The posts below dig into real cases, real fixes, and the hidden role wood plays in everything from your bathroom to your roof.
