Our Timber
All our timber is fencing grade and for the purpose of fencing and some landscaping. We have some prepared timber items but the majority is sawn, all is Pressure Treated. We favour Redwood species for ground contact and while the majority of our other timber is Redwood some will be Whitewood. Redwood is favoured for it’s durability and its response to the treatment process, it has a slightly darker appearance. Pressure Treated timber is also know as “green” and you will sometimes see a slight green tinge caused by the treatment process, this is perfectly natural and will fade. With the exception of our Euro panels all our timber is from British sawmills and all of our timber is responsibly sourced from managed forests and carries the appropriate Forestry logos, depending on the source. Our suppliers do not offer a warranty and in turn we don't either.
Pressure Treatment
The 2 types of Pressure treated timber we have are UC4 and UC3. UC4 is recommended for all timber that comes in to contact with the ground. For example posts and gravel boards are UC4, fence panels are UC3 because they are not designed to come in to direct contact with the ground, a timber or concrete gravel board should be used beneath.
UC4 treated timber refers to wood that has been treated to a standard that makes it suitable to be in permanent contact with the ground outside. The timber goes through a thorough treatment process. It is first kiln dried, this reduces the moisture content to a maximum of approx. 28%. This part of the process can take up to a week and allows the pressure treatment to penetrate deeper.
The timber is then loaded into an air-tight vessel and a vacuum is applied. The vessel is then flooded with preservative at pressure while still under vacuum, forcing the treatment into the timber. Excess preservative is then pumped out, the vacuum is released, and the returning air pulls the preservative even deeper inside the timber. The timber is then left to dry, leaving a water resistant barrier.
UC3 pressure treated timber is suitable for outdoor use but not recommended for ground contact. The Pressure treatment it has received is less vigorous and penetrative then UC4.
Natural Beauty
Being a natural product every piece of timber is unique. Some pieces will have more knots than others depending on how many branches were on the tree for example. One post will be heavier than another depending on the density of the timber or the moisture content. Pressure Treatment does an excellent job of protecting timber from moisture ingress but not so much with UV and heat protection. During the drier and sunnier months of the year splits, warping and shrinking may become evident, more likely with new timber that hasn’t stabilised over several seasons, this is purely cosmetic and doesn’t affect its durability, there is no such thing as a faulty piece of wood, a tree with less branches than another isn't faulty its just nature at work!
The larger the piece of wood, the more likely it will be to show splits, again this is purely cosmetic, we’ve all seen historic buildings that have been standing for hundreds of years with split beams and timbers. Nature usually works to help rectify the UV damage, as soon as moisture levels return and the temperature cools, splits and warping can become less evident.
In Conclusion
Timber can offer durability and natural beauty for years to come if its natural form and behaviours are appreciated and accepted. A natural product can never offer the perfection and form of a man made product. We can offer advice and plenty of knowledge on fencing products, we are fencing specialists after all! However we can only advise on how you store, fix and use your timber. We will always welcome and listen to any concerns you have and help where we can but we can not be held responsible for the behaviours of a natural product. We advise when purchasing timber you measure up and buy the correct amount as we don't refund timber bought in error, don’t buy timber in too far in advance of carrying out the works and always store it flat, square, out of the sun and somewhere cool.