Sustainable Building Finishes: Use of Renewable Standardized Wood-Based Material in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper reports a research on sustainable building finishes in Nigeria. Because the building industry consumes a substantial percentage of the materials entering the global economy, and is responsible for the emission of almost half of the global greenhouse gases, it is important to consider the aspect of material efficiency as a component of achieving sustainability. This paper critically appraises this development as the use of the renewable wood-based materials has impacted remarkable success towards achieving sustainable building finishes in the country. It reports findings on the authors’ research through case studies, observations and structured questionnaire on the influence of use of renewable wood-based materials on the building industry in Nigeria. Findings of empirical survey conducted among professionals such like Architects, Engineers, Quantity Surveyors, Builders and Contractors practising in some selected cities in Nigeria on the use of the material were analysed along side with personal interviews of these professionals to obtain their views on the subject, revealing that the industrial production of standardised wood-based material to a finished stage makes building operation faster, reduces labour and wastages and enhances modular designs and construction thus aligning production with the current global trend. Timber material used for finishes was also observed to have good aesthetic value in building construction. The paper recommends that the material should be made available in the market in finished standard sizes for users to assemble on sites.