UK C16 timber

[saveasteading]

I've tried and failed to obtain local timber when C16 is the requirement.

 

So I was surprised and pleased to see that it is now being marketed.

At the "future-build" exhibition in London I had a long chat with them.

They were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and the rep clearly knew all the merchants personally.

 

Scottish timber grows fast and with wide rings. I'd expect Kielder and more southern climes grow even faster. So it is never close ringed and dense enough to provide the stronger C24 timber.

 

But I have never been able to get uk timber because the merchants get in Scandinavian wood for their own ease.

 

I am assured that some merchants will get the UK stuff if we insist/ ask around. And it should be cheaper for obvious reasons of proximity.

Plus the carbon credentials are much better, and rather incredibly, Scottish forestry supports 34,000 jobs and GVA is £3billion.

If it sold more as structural timber, then they would plant more.

 

They also seemed to agree with my concerns on timber being stored and supplied wet by merchants. They understood all the concerns about dryness and straightness. I guess buying local and just-in-time might help that too.

 

Confederation of forest industries, called Confor. 

Confor.org.uk

 

Nobody else came to the stand.  There were thousands there but the agenda was more about "solutions" and tick-boxing systems.

A lot of Chinese exhibitors selling robots incl plastering machines , lots of IT and computer modelling, but also earth bricks and marble.

 

Overall... the future of building is systems and protocols.  I couldn't work out what some stalls were even offering, and their staff couldn't always explain either.

 

NB.. it wasn't aimed at self build or small projects.

 

 

 

 

 

[albert]

Yes UK timber is hard to source and often poorly processed- graded and stored. All of our CLS comes from europe but some yards still grade  and stamp timber in the yard. 

[saveasteading]

11 hours ago, albert said:

UK timber is hard to source and often poorly processed- graded and stored

Presumably this confederation is only for producers who meet the standards required.

It will need testing and inspection for C16.

The thing is, we have used about 8km of timber( and most had to be C24, ) so I can't test this supplier. But they were totally knowledgeable of the requirements and issues in real life (drying, milling, straightness, storage) so I'm confident it will be good stuff.

 

[SimonD]

18 hours ago, saveasteading said:

I've tried and failed to obtain local timber when C16 is the requirement.

 

So I was surprised and pleased to see that it is now being marketed.

At the "future-build" exhibition in London I had a long chat with them.

They were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and the rep clearly knew all the merchants personally.

 

Scottish timber grows fast and with wide rings. I'd expect Kielder and more southern climes grow even faster. So it is never close ringed and dense enough to provide the stronger C24 timber.

 

But I have never been able to get uk timber because the merchants get in Scandinavian wood for their own ease.

 

I am assured that some merchants will get the UK stuff if we insist/ ask around. And it should be cheaper for obvious reasons of proximity.

Plus the carbon credentials are much better, and rather incredibly, Scottish forestry supports 34,000 jobs and GVA is £3billion.

If it sold more as structural timber, then they would plant more.

 

They also seemed to agree with my concerns on timber being stored and supplied wet by merchants. They understood all the concerns about dryness and straightness. I guess buying local and just-in-time might help that too.

 

Confederation of forest industries, called Confor. 

Confor.org.uk

 

Nobody else came to the stand.  There were thousands there but the agenda was more about "solutions" and tick-boxing systems.

A lot of Chinese exhibitors selling robots incl plastering machines , lots of IT and computer modelling, but also earth bricks and marble.

 

Overall... the future of building is systems and protocols.  I couldn't work out what some stalls were even offering, and their staff couldn't always explain either.

 

NB.. it wasn't aimed at self build or small projects.

Local grown timber and getting hold of it is a big problem. I managed to get local cedar for all our cladding and remember when I got the phone call from someone at the mill with a deep Welsh accent telling me my boards were all ready and they were putting them on the back of a truck for me. Since then I've struggled to find the things I need. I've been trying to find somewhere locally that'll provide me with the timber to make my staircase. 

What frustrates me even more is I get regular email updates from various suppliers, and regularly receive some from Buckland Timber where I've sourced Glulams, both bespoke curved and straight off the shelf. They'll manufacture glulams to your spec including providing locally grown options and their newsletters talk about using local growers and mills - but the frustrating thing is that when I then go out and try to source it myself for other needs, I hit a brick wall!

Some time ago I also read some interesting articles about the UK forestry industry where I came to the conclusion that it's a bit different to those of countries who produce so much timber, because the way in which land ownership works here, timber is seen as an investment asset rather than a commodity so owners can just put a hold on felling and selling instead waiting for prices to rise. So this creates an unreliable supply chain. I don't know how that plays out right now as I haven't really engaged in it much recently, but it certainly used to be a problem at the distribution and merchant levels.

[saveasteading]

6 minutes ago, SimonD said:

owners can just put a hold on felling and selling instead waiting for prices to rise. So this creates an unreliable supply chain

A Finnish supplier I built for said their policy was exactly that. Let the trees grow another year. Presumably Sweden is the same.

Are there other commodities you can do that with?

But what creates a significant fall in demand in the first place?

 

The manager was proud of Finnish timber being close grained and straight because it grows very slowly on flat and very cold plains. Since then I see trees on hillsides as straining to stay upright (does it grow lopsided?)  and Finnish timber as reliable but miserable.

[Mr Punter]

1 hour ago, SimonD said:

Local grown timber and getting hold of it is a big problem. I managed to get local cedar for all our cladding

 

I understand that Sweet Chestnut is a good durable UK timber.