FAQs

We have a confusing relationship with units of measurement in the Uk, which makes this section more complicated than one might hope. Essentially we supply our timber in metric equivalents of imperial sizes. For example, if you order a 3×2” it will be supplied as 75x50mm. You should expect a maximum variation of +/- 1mm.

The lengths of timber we offer are dictated by the lengths of log supplied by the forestry industry (an industry still firmly committed to imperial sizes). These lengths are most commonly equivalent to 1.8m, 2.4m, 3.6m and 4.8m, hence our stock is limited to these lengths for green sawn products. Our secondary processed products, however, are provided as mixed length as standard.

When ordering timber its useful to tell us the precise lengths you will require for your project and we will match them up in the most cost effective manner possible. We will usually supply timber slightly over length, allowing you to cut the ends down as required. If you need your order cutting precisely to size please let us know – this is a service we offer, albeit with a small additional labour charge.

Feel free to order in which ever unit you feel comfortable in (or a combination of both!).

Most of the timber we supply direct from the sawmill is unseasoned or ‘green’. This means that it has not yet dried to a moisture content matched to its intended environment. If the timber is intended for external use (eg as cladding, fencing, sleepers etc), this is fine.

Timber will naturally air dry (‘season’) over time, or it can be kiln dried to accelerate the process (although this has an associated energy cost). As a general rule of thumb it takes about 6 months to the inch for larch and douglas fir to air dry. All of our moulded cladding and floorboards are kiln dried to moisture contents of between 12-18% – this is an important step to take for all timber intended for internal use, and also to stablise timber intended for external use.

As it dries, timber will naturally shrink and potentially move (twist, bend and crack). There are a number of factors which influence how much timber will move and shrink:

• species – oak moves a lot, whilst douglas fir for example is comparatively stable;
• quality of the timber – large knots can cause timber to warp;
• how fast it has dried – timber dried too fast is likely to warp;
• how it has been sawn- quarter sawn timber is more stable than plain sawn.

So, when deciding what kind of timber you require there are a number of factors to consider: Green timber is more flexible in small dimensions and easier to work. Seasoned (air dried) timber will take a better finish and generally remain more stable, but this takes several months to years to achieve. Kiln dried timber is more expensive and has a higher carbon footprint, but achieves its stablity and internal durability within weeks.

Suitable applications of unseasoned timber:

• Traditional timber framers deliberately use unseasoned timber as it is easier to work and the joinery is designed to tighten as it dries, thus harnessing the natural properties of the wood
• Unseasoned cladding is more flexible and less likely to crack and thus is easier to apply
• Timber for use outside can be green – except in the case of moulded (planed and profiled) timber, which should be stablised
• Large section timbers (those over 100x100mm thick) are always sold green/partially dried as they cannot be uniformly kilned.

Suitable applications of seansoned / kiln dried timber:

• Internal cladding, shelving and (in particular) floorboards, which should be dried to moisture contents of significantly less than 18%
• External cladding that is planed and profiled should be dried to moisture contents of 14-20% to minimise movement post-application, which may affect profiled joints (e.g. tongue & groove)

Naturally durable timber is timber which has an inherent resistance to attack by wood destroying organisms such as fungal decay and insect attack. It is generally only the heartwood of timber that is durable the outer (generally paler) sapwood is non-durable.

None of our timber is treated, the reasons for this are manifold:

We don’t believe that the benefits of the current, legally allowed treatments are sufficient to balance the environmental impact of using poisonous chemicals. The scientific evidence to support the performance of currently available treatments for exterior use timber simply isn’t there.

Most coniferous species accept treatment very poorly, this is well known in the timber industry, but not widely acknowledged. It is a simple matter to cut a piece of treated timber and see that the “protection” there is barely skin deep. Because of these factors we only buy and supply naturally durable species; as with spruce, they too accept treatment poorly, so instead of wasting resources on a thing we know not to work – we simply supply the right timber for the right job.

We supply timber from naturally durable species that do not require treatment and the longevity of this timber will not be notably improved by treating it. This timber will last longer than the treated non-durable timber you get elsewhere, even when in contact with the ground.

However if you want to preserve the fresh colour of the wood we would advise using an oil based product with UV filters such as Osmo UV Protection oil extra 420 (though you will need to wait for the timber to dry out a bit before applying it as it won’t absorb into fresh cut timber), alternatively it is fine to let it weather naturally – it will gradually fade to a silvery hue.

Our graders are certified to British Standard and can visual strength grade timbers as required. Visual strength grading uses the grader’s experience to assess each piece according to rules that define the size, type and number of strength-reducing characteristics allowed in each grade. Natural strength-reducing features include knots, wane (the uneven edge caused by a residue of bark) and the slope of the grain. In order to meet certain planning constraints you may be required to supply strength graded certification – this is something we can supply.

We advise the use of stainless steel fixings for exterior timbers, as bright steel fixings are likely to corrode and potentially stain the timber. Alternatively there are now a range of highly corrosion resistant carbon steel fixings tested to resist 1000 hours of salt spray. Where high torque applications are required we recommend carbon steel fixings, as stainless performs poorly in such conditions.

For internal use fixings are a matter of taste an the end application. If you have a specific question on this topic please feel free to give us a call.

Timber supplied directly from the saw mill is described as being ‘rough sawn’, however our modern sawmill and high quality blades actually produce a fairly smooth and uniform finish suitable for use in many applications without further processing. For timber that will be touched regularly – internal cladding, hand rails, furniture etc, we would recommend planing/sanding.

If you do intend to plane your timber, you might want to order it slightly over sized (+5mm).

We are able to deliver locally ourselves – the price will be based on time and distance from our site in Caernarfon. How we calculate delivery, as well as further details can be found on our delivery and returns terms & conditions page.

When requesting delivery please make us aware of any limitations regarding access!

We can also supply our products nationwide using a national pallet courier service.

Yes, we produce firewood as a co-product of our main operations. Unlike other firewood suppliers we extract all the useful timber from a tree for our green building projects and then only what is left goes into our firewood stock.

We pride ourselves on not kiln drying our firewood, but instead take the time to air-dry naturally, so no energy is wasted. That said, we do also offer small amounts of kiln dried firewood (timber offcuts) as a co-product of our secondary processing activities. We use species such as douglas fir and larch which are really strong dense timbers which make them great for building but also makes for really good firewood.

All our timber is locally sourced from sustainably managed sites.

We sell firewood in a number of formats:

• 8’/2.4m bales of unseasoned slab wood (1 cubic meter, approx 800 kilos) – £35
• tonne bags of part seasoned slab wood, variable lengths – approx 0.2-0.5m – £35
• tonne bags of fully seasoned timber offcuts, cut to length – approx 0.25-0.4m – £75
• 70l net bags of seasoned kindling – £8 70l bags of seasoned firewood – £7.50

All firewood is collection only. The unseasoned material will require approximately 6 months to season fully.

All our timber is sourced from within Wales, and predominantly from within north Wales. It comes from sustainably managed plantation sites that are replanted after felling. We also supply a small amount of hardwoods sourced from local tree surgeons.

We have been working to grow the amount of stock we’re carrying at our yard in Caernarfon. There’s now a significant amount of fencing & carcassing timber as well as fence & gateposts, sleepers and wide wane edge slabs. Inside, we also aim to keep a good stock of dried, planed and profiled timber, including floorboards, tongue & groove cladding and timber suitable for internal building projects.

We still cut a proportion of our timber to order (in particular A grade (exterior, more durable) timbers, such as large area cladding, shingles and heavy section posts or beams) – so if it’s not in stock, don’t fear – we’ll likely be able to produce what you need with a short lead time (usually ~4 weeks).

You are welcome to visit our premises in Caernarfon. As well as the timber currently in production and stock on the yard, we have plenty of examples of various cladding styles and structures, including a fully insulated & fitted, internally & externally clad garden room!

On request we are also able to recommend specific public sites where you can see our past work, including at Tyddyn Teg cooperative site, and the Llyn Park Mawr community Woodland on Anglesey, where we raised a timber framed outdoor classroom, with a larch shingle roof and larch clad sides. Please keep an eye on our website and social media for ongoing projects and examples of customer projects.