Timber FAQs
Below are some of the questions our customers frequently ask us about timber. There are many variables with wood and it can be a complex material to plan for in your projects. We pride ourselves on being project led and customer focussed. This simply means we dont make assumptions or rush you into making a payment without checking on what you are planning to do with the timber. The below wood FAQs can help answer a few of the common questions and make things easier in the first instance. If you still have any questions and you want to discuss your project with us please get in touch with our helpful team. There's no such thing as a silly question if it helps to reassure you.
Will my timber come in the exact sizes I choose?
Does my timber need to be treated?
When will my timber be delivered?
Does timber change colour?
What information do I need to place an order?
Will the timber I receive be ready to work with?
What should I do if there is a problem with my order?
Why is my price coming out so high on the price calculator?
The website allows you to free type what you are looking for but will convert this into realistic sizes in available packs of timber. Boards over 200mm are rare in some species and boards over 100mm in thickness will not be available in our standard kiln dried range. Our website will still always generate a price for these anomalies but this may include joining multiple pieces together in thickness or width which is a slow and expensive process. For timbers over 100mm in thickness try our oak beams page. For timbers wider than 200mm try our pine panels or oak panels range. If however you need help with finding the right product please contact our helpful team.
What's the best wood for garden furniture?
Iroko is the top choice for durability, availability and attractiveness (it can range from a golden yellow to a dark brown when planed, even within the same piece).
What's the best wood for exterior painting?
Sapele is a porous external timber that holds paint very well.
What's the best wood for internal cladding?
Redwood Pine is lightweight, stable and easy to paint.
What's the difference between American and European Oak?
American Oak is lighter and generally used for internal panelling, skirting and architrave whilst European Oak is slightly darker and denser, with more varied uses internally and externally.
What's the difference between Canadian and British Cedar?
Canadian Cedar is more durable and aesthetically pleasing, with a reddish-orange colour, whilst British Cedar is more pale and heavily-knotted but more cost-effective
Does timber change colour?
Most timber will "silver-down" over the course of it's life with constant exposure to natural light.
Do I need to treat Douglas Fir?
A North American Douglas Fir is a naturally durable timber and does not need to be treated. The same applies for Iroko, Sapele, Siberian Larch and Canadian Cedar, though you can apply a UV-protection oil to help keep the timber’s natural colour.
What wood machining options are available?
We can cut rough sawn boards to width or plane them smooth, as well as make jointed worktops and add moulding or cladding profiles.
How long does it take to machine wood?
7 - 10 working days is standard but we offer a rapid PAR service in 3-5 working days and express services are available for urgent projects.
What does the 'cut to length' option mean?
We can cut your timber to an exact length you specify. On linear and square metre orders you may find you get the total coverage in increments of the full board length.
What cladding profiles are available?
Various Tongue & Groove options including V-grooves and Shadow Gaps, as well as Half Laps and Featheredge.
How much does a planer take off wood?
Typically the minimum you should plane off is 3mm in each pass either side which would mean 6mm overall off the sawn sizes. We allow for minimum 6mm in thickness and 10mm in width to make sure it is straight.
What wood thicknesses are available?
Timber is still traditionally cut or planked into imperial measurements by the sawmills so; 25, 32, 38, 50, 63, 75 & 100mm are common stock sizes for most of our sawn timbers.
What are the widest wood boards available?
Around 200mm - anything wider might need to be jointed to width, however timbers like Iroko, Sapele and poplar are usually available in wider pieces.
Do you sell offcuts?
All timber has value and the smaller sections are ideal for those smaller projects such as furniture. We keep plenty of shorter sections up to 1.5m.
Is your timber FSC or PEFC?
We use a mixture of both and all of our timber is European Union Timber Regulation compliant.
What happens when you don't have the right timber in stock?
We can smart-source timber from our trusted supply network and sawmills, usually within 5 – 7 working days.
Can I buy hardwood beams or softwood beams?
We can supply fresh sawn and air-dried European Oak beams and British Douglas Fir beams cut to size or planed, usually within 2 - 3 weeks.
Do I have to buy timber in packs?
This is quite common for large timber merchants, but we are the exception where you can choose and buy a single board as we don't have a Minimum Order Quantity.
Do you sell Teak?
We offer a plantation grown sustainable teak from Ghana. We stock waney-edge sawn boards in 25mm & 50mm thickness, 2.3m long and ranging from around 100 - 200mm width, or can machine to specific sizes.
What's the cheapest softwood?
Redwood Pine, it has several internal uses including cladding, skirting and furniture.
What's the cheapest hardwood?
European Beech, it's usually used for smaller, more intricate projects.
What's the most cost-effective external cladding?
Siberian Larch, it's durable, natural-looking and doesn't need treatment.
What's the most economical size for cladding?
18mm x 130mm is the most efficient size for the majority of our profiles as we stock packs of 1 inch by 6-inch boards.