TDUK SupplyingTimber Issue 8 DIGITAL - Magazine - Page 31
T
he UK construction
industry heavily
relies on coniferous
timber, with about
65% of our requirements
being met through imports.
The dominant timber species
used in the UK are European
Whitewood (Spruce) and
European Redwood (Pine),
with the former traditionally
preferred due to its visual
appeal and smooth 昀椀nish.
However, signi昀椀cant shifts in
the availability of European
Whitewood are forcing changes
in the market, which will have
direct implications for timber
and builders’ merchants.
Several factors have
contributed to these changes in
timber availability right across
Northern and Central Europe:
• Bark Beetle infestations:
The European Whitewood
(Spruce) population has been
severely a昀昀ected by bark
beetle infestations, leading
to substantial losses in the
available logs.
• Market demand and pricing
issues: Lower demand for
logs in recent years due to the
market downturn has reduced
the 昀椀nancial incentives for
forest owners to bring their
timber to market.
• Geopolitical factors:
Sanctions on Russian timber
imports have reduced supply
sources for the UK and EU.
• Forest management
priorities: We have seen a
shift in government policies
across Europe, favouring
forest conservation
over commercial sawlog
production.
As a result, European
sawmills are facing signi昀椀cant
disruptions, including temporary
line closures. Sawmills process
logs in batches determined by
size, length and quality, which
means the closure of a saw
line is likely to have more of an
impact on individual timber
speci昀椀cations rather than
the overall volume of wood
available.
C24 structural timber will be
machine rather than visually
strength graded. This means
that merchants can be con昀椀dent
that each piece of structural
timber will meet the strength
class performance stamped on
the piece.
What it means for merchants
While the total volume of
construction timber reaching
the UK market is expected
to remain stable, merchants
will likely face challenges in
terms of the range of lengths
and sizes available. The
primary consequence will be
an increased proportion of
European Redwood (Pine) in
the supply chain, as sawmills
substitute it to compensate for
declining European Whitewood
(Spruce) availability.
From a structural standpoint
there is no di昀昀erence in
performance between European
Redwood and European
Whitewood. Both species are
strength graded to meet UK
construction standards, with the
most common being C16, C24,
and TR26 for trussed rafters.
Redwood and Whitewood are
graded to the same strength
classes, so there is no impact on
performance. However, there are
some notable di昀昀erences that
merchants and their customers
should be aware of.
European Redwood (Pine)
is visually characterised by
very distinct knots and can
potentially be more prone to
display blue stain than European
Whitewood (Spruce). While
blue stain may not be visually
appealing, it has no impact
on strength performance and
is therefore permitted within
strength grading standards.
All TR26 and most C16 and
Preservative treatments
For garden, landscaping and
exterior applications, such as
decking and garden structures,
European Redwood (Pine) has
a distinct advantage of being
able to more readily absorb
preservative treatments. This
means it can more easily
achieve Use Class 3 and
Use Class 4 than imported
European Whitewood (Spruce),
which requires incision for
ground contact Use Class 4
applications.
Although timber supply
constraints are expected
to ease as market pricing
adjusts and demand rises,
the long-term impact of bark
beetle infestations and forest
management policies means
that European Redwood will
continue to play a larger role in
UK timber supply.
Merchants should prepare for
an evolving market landscape
where a greater proportion of
their stock consists of Redwood
to ensure they can continue to
meet customer needs.
By staying informed and
proactive, merchants can
navigate these changes,
maintain customer con昀椀dence,
and continue to thrive in a
shifting timber market.
Timber Development UK
has published a trade note
with more details about these
changes, which members can
login and read at
www.timberdevelopment.uk
SUPPLYING TIMBER
31
SPRING 2025
THE MARKET
———— CHANGING LOG SUPPLIES ————
