Materials used
Timber
When it comes to wood ZEITRAUM uses almost exclusively solid wood instead of panel material. In addition to low energy consumption, reasons for using solid wood include quality, durability and natural recyclability.
We only use hardwoods from sustainable forestry. Approximately 67 % of our wood comes from Central European forests, most of which are located in the regional vicinity of our manufacturers. 33 % of the wood comes from large forest areas in North America (Pennsylvania and Missouri). All woods comply with the FSC and PEFC standards. We currently use ash, oak, American cherry and European and American walnut.
Wood offers the opportunity to design living spaces that are future-oriented. Hardly any other raw material is so environmentally friendly and also globally available. Its microscopic structure of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin makes it a natural composite material with extraordinary properties. It has comparatively high strength properties, very low weight and is easy to process. In addition, wood plays a decisive role in climate action with its positive energy and carbon footprint and its material and energy recycling potential. Wood combines sustainability and aesthetics and is therefore considered the “raw material of the future”.
Overview of our woods:
Woods from the USA
For many years, we have been working with family-owned companies from Missouri and Pennsylvania. We source our American hardwoods from there. The companies are members of the American Hardwood Council (AHEC) and operate absolutely sustainably. In order to act in accordance with the European standards of the EUTR (European Timber Regulation) and to make the environmentally friendly extraction of the traded timber transparent, the American Hardwood Council developed an “Environmental Profile” in 2013. Using this tool, all environmentally relevant data can be analysed independently and individually, from the life cycle assessment of the individual wood species, to the growth per second, to the occurrence and the annual harvest, all data are publicly accessible.
Surface
The surfaces of our woods are generally treated with natural resin oil, which retains the natural colour of the wood. We use only high-quality oils that are free of biocides, safe for people and nature, and manufactured without the use of paraffins, artificial resins, preservatives or artificial waxes. After it is treated, the wood can breathe, and the surface remains open-pored. This allows the wood to absorb and give off moisture, which not only creates a balanced room climate, but is also antistatic. That is especially important for people who suffer from allergies, because the open-pored waxed furniture does not attract dust.
In addition to natural resin oils, we also offer our furniture with painted and stained finishes. We use so-called HYDRO pigment stains, in which coloured pigments are dissolved in water. After the dispersion is applied, it penetrates the wood, the water evaporates, and the coloured pigments remain in the wood. This results in only 1 % VOCs (volatile organic compounds), so that our stain can be considered to have a low environmental impact.
The paint we use is a highly durable, solvent-based two-component paint. Polyurethane paints have a high solvent content, which makes them ecologically questionable. There is still no eco-friendly alternative with the same properties (resistant to abrasion, water, oils and chemicals, and easy-care).