Plants used for house building purposes

Plants used for house building purposes:

Many plants or plant pasts are used in makng house-pllar, fences roof. doors and windows and also for making furniture. A short description of some of them is given below:

1. Bamboos: Among the materials used in build houses in the Villages ofBangladesh, use of Bamboo is the maximum. The stem of Bamboo is slender and quite long. They propagate by the formation of suckers from the base of the stem. Large number of bamboo grows in a group, which is called bamboo-- bush. There are 19 species of bamboos in Bangladesh.

Uses: Bamboos are mainly used as pillar, but it is also used in making fencesand other purposes too.

2. Chhan / Ulookhar (Impereta cylinderica):A special long slender grass.Once it is sown need not to sow again. Once in a year it is being cut off from the land then it grows again spontaneously. New plants grow by owning suckers.

Uses: It is used for thatching house roof.

3. Golpata (Nipa fruticans):It is one type of palm. stem lies near the oilsurface. Leaves are like that of coconut tree but remain vertically upward. Keeping only two younger leaves at the centre all the leaves are cut off from the plant once in a year.

Uses: It is used in thatching house roof.

4. Shaal (Shorea robusta):Shaal plant is a big tree. Leaves are simple and alternate. All the leaves fall off in the winter. Fruits are provided with wings. Uses: It is used for house pillar and making hard materials. The wood is veryhard and durable. Colour of the wood is brown.

5. Teak (Tectona grandis):It is very tall tree. Leaves are simple and opposite.In rainy season inflorescence develops at the top of the branches. Flowers are white and small.

Uses: Valuable and luxurious doors and furniture are made from this wood.Colour of the wood is golden yellow.

6. Sundari (Heretiara fomes):It is a medium size plant. Leaves are simple. It isan evergreen plant.

Uses: It is used in making pillars; frame of doors and windows. Colour of thewood is reddish.

7. Garjan (Dipterocarpus turbinatus):Garjan is an evergreen tree. The trunk isless branched and very long in height. Leaves are simple.

Uses: It is mostly used in making beams, pillars and a frame of doors andwindows etc. Colour of the wood is light red.

8. Gamari (Gmelina arborea):The P1ant is tall deciduous one. Leaves aresimple and flowers are yellow in colour.

Uses: Used in making doors and windows. Mostly used in making classifiedfurniture. Colour of the wood is white.

9. Jack fruit (Artocarpus hertrophyllus):It is a big tree with branches. Leavesare simple and alternate.

Uses: Mostly used in making furniture, doors and windows. Colour of the woodis yellowish-red.

10. Koroi (Albizia procera):It is a tall deciduous tree. Leaves are Compound.Fruit is flat.

Uses: Used in making furniture, doors and windows. The heartwood is blackishin colour. The wood of Shilkoroi is of better quality than the wood of Rendy Koroi.