Jump to content

Timber prices up?


Crofter

Recommended Posts

I was quoted 70p/m for larch cladding back at the end of last year, which I thought was an excellent price- went to the same sawmill for updated quote with the intention of purchasing, and the price comes back at £1.20/m. Ouch! That's a pretty steep increase.

Has timber in general gone up a lot in the last few months?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

Do timber prices get adjusted because of the seasons. [...]  

 

That is a really interesting question. And I wonder where we can get an honest evidence-based answer? Is there a timber price index? Or a Timber Futures market?

 

Something to get your statistical teeth into, Steamy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, recoveringacademic said:

Is there a timber price index? Or a Timber Futures market?

 

The nearest I can find are two Exchange Traded Funds... WOOD and CUT.

 

http://www.etf.com/WOOD

and

http://www.etf.com/CUT

 

These track a basket of companies that own forests, process or distribute timber etc. They are global so I suspect they tend to correlate with US house building as that uses a lot of wood.

 

They dipped around the time of the Brexit vote but have recovered since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah that's no too bad then! Russwood are treating it for you are they? I'm planning on laying everything out inside the empty building and treating there, in the dry. Still to decide on a treatment option and I am now way over budget on this aspect of the build...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The people with the statistics will be TRADA or the Timber Trades Federation, or possibly a Government Department, or the Research bit of the Forestry Commission or the right college/uni, or perhaps the Scottish Government.TRADA are unlikely to give you free information; TRADA is very commercial - you will get warm fuzzy replies, but they know the value of scarce information. Though I see their members' magazine is available as a download:

http://www.trada.co.uk/membership/downloads

 

The TTF journal is called the Timber Trades Journal, and their may be some information therein. Ask your local BM or Timber Merchant if they have a copy. Or there ,may be something on their website if you excavate it.

 

I would expect a seasonal variation, but I have no idea on the pattern.

 

If you can get a hold of a copy of the TRADA Yearbook that might help. One other route *might* be to ask a technical person from your Timber Frame or other supplier (if you have one and they are in TRADA) if they know anythniog or can find information; obviously you won't get data about cladding prices from a cladding supplier.


I would also expect prices to stabilise after BREXIT, but it will take some time.

 

Perhaps a local tree and a chap with a porta-mill is your answer, like a less hardcore, outsourced, version of @recoveringacademic ? There may be the right kind of tree lying around somewhere in a treeman's yard or in the corner of a local estate etc.

 

Has anyone here sourced their own cladding from the continent and gone to fetch it with a trailer while on holiday?

 

Or put a classified ad on Arbtalk?

 

One secondary degree indicator I noted was that the Church Commissioners have moved significantly further into Timber investments in 2015, which suggests they detect long term value. They are superb strategic investors with an outlook over up to 50 years or more.

Quote

The Church Commissioners continued to invest in forestry with two new holdings in Australia, bringing the total holdings to nearly 120,000 acres. The timberland and forestry portfolio delivered a total return of 13% in 2015.

Annual Report linked from here:

https://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2016/05/church-commissioners-announce-total-2015-return-on-investments-at-82.aspx

 

Ferdinand

 

Edited by Ferdinand
Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

[..] or stage an armed robbery at the Morgan factory.

 

I'm yer man for that job.

Lived round the corner, know where they store it, know where they get it from , used to burn the off-cuts in the fire. Had a mate who did his apprenticeship there.

Last century.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...