Timber has been used as a construction material for centuries and whilst it is sustainable and strong, it is not fireproof. Since the extensive fire damage done to Notre Dame a lot of money has been spent on trying to restore the famous cathedral to their former glory. Keep reading to find out more about how the wonderful Iroko timber may be used to refurbish Notre Dame.

The underwater Ghanaian forest

To add a bit of context as to why this use of Iroko timber is particularly environmentally friendly, we need to have a look at Lake Volta. This reservoir is the largest artificial lake in the world and contains a fully submerged forest of timber ready to be harvested.

The Harvesting of the Iroko Timber

Remotely operated machinery is used to harvest the submerged Iroko timber from the lake and once the wood has been kiln-dried it is good to go. If the deal goes ahead then the company involved will sell an estimated £39.5m of timber to the French government.

Iroko is described as an ‘incredibly durable and hard-wearing’ wood that could provide the perfect timber for Notre Dame. The timber would be used in the reconstruction of the internal structure of Notre Dame. The move has been proposed as France may not have the supply of the correct oak timber to properly refurbish the cathedral.

The environmental cost of shipping the Iroko timber

Whilst the timber in Lake Volta is currently not utilised, many feel taking the wood would not be worth the environmental cost of shipping it to France. This is due to the fuel and labour costs that would be needed in its transportation.

Find expert suppliers of Iroko timber in the UK

The Iroko timber in Lake Volta is a resource that could be used in construction around the world, and at no extra cost of taking living trees out of the ground. With that considered, it is good to see the French government looking into ways they can reconstruct Notre Dame in an environmentally sustainable way. If you are looking to use Iroko timber in your construction projects make sure you go through a UK supplier who deals in FSC approved products.