PROS

• Wood fights climate change - roughly one cubic metre per tree sucks up one tonne of carbon dioxide, which remains locked up until the tree is used for wood.
  
• It is a safe building material which can be constructed off site before being transported.
  
• A good insulator, which reduces energy use.
  
• It may not be as strong as concrete but wood compares well with steel, and when used as a column or beam has a much higher strength-to weight ratio than metal.
  
• Usually sourced locally, so better for the planet.
  
• Quick and easy to work with, which makes it ideal for the self-builder.

CONS

• Will shrink and swell according to moisture levels in the air.
  
• Curves are difficult to fashion from wood.
  
• Unlike stone, the world’s other major natural construction material, wood requires regular maintenance to protect it from water and fungal damage.