Rough Sawn Timber

Explore our range of quality kiln dried sawn hardwoods and softwoods timber, including European Oak, American Ash, West African Sapele, American Poplar, Redwood Pine and many more wood species. Sawn timber is timber that is cut from logs, into typically square boards. Sawn timber is generally cut into varying rectangular widths and lengths. No minimum number of pieces required. If you need only one piece for your project then this is the place to find the perfect timber board.

The benefits of Sawn Timber

Sawn timber has several benefits, including:

• More flexibility and workability
• Cost-effective
• Readily available
• Sawn from the log for a natural rougher finish
• Ideal for a wide range of construction projects, both internal and external

Important note: Please be aware that sawn boards are rough in texture but more importantly can be irregular (not square and parallel) therefore in order to achieve a square and regular piece for accuracy you would either need the equipment or request our cut to size service from our mill onsite.

OUR RANGE OF HARDWOOD ROUGH SAWN TIMBERS

Frequently Asked Questions

What is sawn timber?

Sawn timber is when the timber has been sawn from the log into planks or beams. It will be rough in texture, have splinters and saw marks and will not be perfectly even/parallel. This is also known as sawn finish. Sawn timber can be cheaper than planed timber because it doesn’t require as much machining.

What's the difference between sawn and planed timber?

Sawn timber is not level and splinter free as with planed timber. It is also not regular like PAR (planed all round) where the planing process cuts thickness, width and length equally so it becomes more parallel. Planed will also guarantee the exact finish sizes you choose whereas sawn will come as a set (nominal size) to start with.

If I order rough sawn timber, will it be cut to my sizes?

Sawn timber will likely be the closest nominal size (see nominal sizes FAQ) so this may end up being slightly larger or smaller in thickness width and length. Sawn timber is cut from logs into different shapes and sizes. It can comes in different thicknesses and random widths and lenghts, depending on the timber species. If you require a regular piece of timber cut to your specific sizes, please request our cut to size service from our mill onsite

What sawn timber can be used for?

Buying sawn timber is a great way to have full control over the machining process and is advised if you have the equipment to work with it. You can plane and profile the timber the way you wish to do this and customise it to your spec. Sawn timber is often used in non-structural internal building projects, such as for floorboards, skirting, and window boards. It can also be used for external projects like cladding, fascia's, decking or fencing. 

What are the disadvantages of sawn timber?

Saw marks, tan marks (from steel blades), splinters, irregular sizes, set (nominal) sizes. Another tip is that it is difficult to examine the grain, colour and appearance of timber when its sawn. The planing process reveals the true appearance of the timber by removing the superficial exterior. Sawn timber can also hide splits and make knots appear stable. When you plane the boards these faults can become worse from this process.

Is rough sawn timber cheaper?

Sawn timber will be cheaper in most cases because you have to apply a machining charge and also apply a waste charge for the offcut. The exception would be that a sawn board may be a lot larger than the planed/cut product and if the timber yard keeps the offcut you will be charged less for the small piece you are keeping.

Can you sand sawn timber?

You can sand sawn timber but it may take a very long time, industrial machine or very course texture abrasives to get the sawn appearance to a parallel. This may even be a false economy with the time involved and will also not likely regularise it either.

Can you use rough sawn timber outside?

Sawn timber can be used outdoors and often is used just for structural/functional purposes. Timber can become smoother when its weathered as the splinters are worn in time.

Can I use rough sawn timber for decking?

You can use rough sawn timber for decking but its important to note a few key points. Your gaps between boards may not be equal. The boards may not sit consistently flat onto the sub frame. Any splinters in the rough finish will likely be a problem for bare feet on the boards. Any saw marks or splinters may lift and break out with foot traffic and use.

What are the benefits of sawn timber?

Sawn timber gives you the starting size which means you can machine this yourself using your own tolerances and specification to get the result you want for your project. It is also a cheaper way to buy timber. Please note that using sawn timber may require an additional expense where machining it is essential.

Can you oil rough sawn timber?

You can oil sawn timber to protect it but it may be difficult to apply the oil evenly and effectively with so many splinters and loose material on the surface. This may also leave it patchy when the splinters are worn off.

Can you paint rough sawn timber?

You can paint sawn timber but it would need more of a soaking in paint to effectively improve coverage as the splinters and rough exterior will make it very difficult to get a good finish. It is recommended to purchase planed timber or plane yourself in order to get a good paint finish.

What’s the difference between nominal and finished sizes?

Nominal sizes are where the timber is sold in a size category like 1 inch for instance and the size may vary slightly. You may buy 2 inch x 4 inch nominal planed and this may end up being 44mm x 94mm because it is planed down from a nominal sawn size.

What sizes should I ask for when ordering sawn timber?

In order to correctly buy the right sawn sizes you need to work backwards from the exact sizes you want to finish at. You then add a planing tolerance of 6mm to the thickness and about 10mm to the width and pick the closest nominal size available from the timber supplier rounding up. For example, if you wish to finish at 25mm thickness you would need to buy a 32mm or inch and a quarter nominal sized board.