Wood has been one of the most popular building materials since ancient times. Although currently there are many substitutes for rafters such as galvalume and others. However, wooden rafters are still a favorite of many people. Wood has flexible properties and is easy to process, which makes it still used by many people.
This wood itself is wood that usually used in the building construction process, as a ceiling support and basic frame that helps strengthen the casting process. Various types of wood are used. Most people prefer to use a type of wood that has good strength, such as meranti wood, camphor, teak, and borneo wood. There are two kinds of sizes that can be found in the market, 4 cm x 6 cm and 5 cm x 7 cm with 4 meters length of wood. The following are the characteristics of quality rafters.
Have Good Endurance
Characteristics of suitable wood for use is that it has good durability. Wood that has good durability will last longer. And not easily attacked by some damage, such as termites and fungi. It would be even better if it is weather-resistant and not easily weathered by water or humid air. It is best to choose a type of wood that does not absorb more than 12 percent water of its weight when the wood stay in water.
Have Good Strength
The characteristics of good and quality rafters must have good strength to support the ceiling of the house. So make sure to choose a type of wood that is strong and sturdy.
The Hardness of Wood is Quite High
The next characteristic of good and quality wood is the wood is hardwood. The level of wood hardness usually depends on the type of wood and the density of the wood.
Shock Resistant
Next, choose a type of wood that has good resistance to sudden shocks or vibrations. Like during an earthquake. To anticipate this, you should use kind of wood that has good damping power against shocks or vibrations. Wood rafters are also a type of wood that is shock resistant so it is recommended to be chosen.
Wood Weight Must Be Appropriate
Quality wood and has good strength. It must be very high density so that the weight is quite heavy. But among all types of strong wood, choose the one with the lightest weight.
Easy to Formed and Process
You will definitely find it difficult to use a type of wood that is difficult to nail, screw, and saw. Therefore, you should use a type of wood that is easy to shaped and process, such as rafters. So that the process does not require extra energy and time.
Not Easy Deformed When It Shaped
The last characteristic of wood is the type of wood that is not easily deformed. Wood that is easy to shrink and expand is not suitable for use. That’s because it is used as ceiling frame that easily exposed to the sun’s heat and rainwater seepage
Some types of wood that are suitable for rafters are teak, merbau, bengkirai, and camphor. The price of teak wood is quite expensive. But behind it all, teak is a type of wood that is very suitable for use as rafters for buildings. Teak wood is strong, durable, and stable (not easy to expand). However, as an alternative, you can also use other types of wood, such as camphor, merbau, and bengkirai.
–sh
