A home is many things to many different people. And it’s often hard to put a strict definition on our homes. Our homes can be thought of as a source of shelter from storms. It’s a place where we come to rest and recuperate at the end of a hard day. It’s where we raise our families and celebrate new growth within it. And finally, it’s a structure composed of several distinct building materials.

The last definition isn’t one we typically give much thought to. We usually think of our home in terms of what it provides to us rather than what it’s made of. But it’s important to consider a house’s construction and the materials used within it. After all, a home should be something that we can count on for decades or more. But there’s few things in the world that can last forever without a little repair …