Summary: The Case of Building Wooden Houses in Nigeria

In Nigeria, it is only in a very few riverine areas that houses have been built entirely of wood. Elsewhere mud has been the traditional building material, reinforced as necessary with wood. The step from mud to concrete was therefore a fairly simple and logical one, so that the advantages of wood as a building material have tended to be overlooked. Wood is strong, yet compared with concrete it is light in weight. A wooden wall 77mm thick is as strong as a cement wall 200 mm thick and can be lifted into place by one or two men. This is impossible with concrete. Wood is resistant not only to compression but also to tension, whereas concrete can only resist compression. In order to resist tension, it has to be reinforced with iron or steel. Wood is easily worked with ordinary simple hand tools. This means that work can be finished to the exact dimensions on the site and that alterations are simple at a later stage. Because of the above advantages, wooden houses are much cheaper than concrete houses. Another advantage which can be obtained by using wood is its attractiveness.

                   One other advantage which can be obtained by using wood is the attractiveness but we should perhaps consider the objections that people have to using wood. The two most common questions raised are “How long will it last?” and “Will it be burnt down by fire?”

                   How long it will last depends upon the type of wood used and whether or not it is properly seasoned and treated with preservatives. Seasoning, that is drying the wood either in the air or in a drying kiln, before using the wood, not only prevents the wood from changing shape later but also helps the wood last longer.

                   The other problem, that of fire, is mainly one of care and attention. Fires can start as easily in a concrete building as in a wooden one, in fact often more easily in that people are more careless. Proper design can do much to prevent fire and injuries due to fire, but it also should be pointed out that it is not as easy to set fire to a wooden structure as it may appear. Although it would be absurd to say there is no fire hazard, the danger is very little greater than in a concrete building, and if sensible precautions are taken it may well be less.