Wood

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A bench made of wood.
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A bench made of wood.

Wood is the main substance in trees. Wood is used for construction of buildings or furniture, and also for art. It is also used for making fires and heating.


Wood is very easy to cut, but it is also very strong. A lumberjack is a person who cuts down trees. After a tree falls, the wood in it can be cut into long, straight pieces called lumber. Lumber can then be used to make posts, or put together with nails, screws, or even glue to make wooden frames for other shapes.

Wood comes in many different kinds. Oak and maple are widely-used types of wood.

For a long time and even today, many buildings, mostly houses, are made of wood. To build a house with wood, lumber is put together into frames that are the shape of each wall, floor, and roof of the house. Then the frames are placed into the shape of a house. Then the frames can be covered to make solid walls. Sometimes the walls are made of more wood.

When the outside of a house or building is covered in wood, the wooden pieces are usually flat and stacked. These pieces are called shingles. Wood is also sometimes used in other parts of the house, like doors and staircases. Wood is also used to make fences.

People also make much furniture with wood, like chairs, dressers, tables, and desks.

When someone builds something with wood, they usually paint it. Paint protects and beautifies the wood. Some people like the look of wood, so they put clear paint on it.

Some people make art with wood. Sometimes sculptures are built with wood.

Regular pencils are made of wood, with dark graphite inside for writing.

A place that has many trees in it that are close together, like a forest, is sometimes called 'the woods' when it is not very big.

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