16 South West Building & Construction
April 2010
PAYNE TIMBER & DUCHY TIMBER...
Best logs selected
Timber used by the firm is grown locally.
Article by Andy Halpin, general manager of Payne Timber and Duchy Timber
WHY is it that in the UK we make it so hard for ourselves to use home-grown timber in construction?
With building regulations and the way mills machine
the timber, home-grown is rarely the first choice.
Duchy Timber’s approach to home-grown timber is unique.
The best timber is selected from local woodland.
We produce fencing, decking and agricultural timber by the truckload but we have another weapon in our arsenal.
We select the best logs in Douglas fir from local woodland. The reason we use Douglas is it is very strong, has excellent durability and it also has a beautiful colour. We then use our state-of-the-art mill to select the best dimension from each log, maximising our return which helps keep the price down. We use the waste wood chip to power our kiln which slowly dries the timber to the required moisture content; this varies depending on the end use. The reason for the kilning is to stabilise the timber and help stop shrinkage. We then have a blank that can be used for all sorts of things from structural beams, exposed trusses and joists to joinery etc. We can stress grade this timber to C16 or C24 and machine to any size needed. We also select the better boards to produce floorboards, shiplap cladding and TGV. Traditionally these products would have been the norm but
A view inside the Duchy Timber mill.
over the years the construction industry has become obsessed with cheap imported timber. Now with the change in the economic climate and exchange rates, we can produce a superior product at a very affordable price. For instance, imported Douglas beams would cost in excess of £650m3; we can supply a product that ticks all the environmental boxes, supports the local economy and saves you money for
April 2010 South West Building & Construction 17
...WOOD WITHOUT COMPROMISE
Home-grown timber used
approximately £450m3. We are informed that import prices will increase steadily over the coming months and as work is not plentiful the pennies will become ever more important. Duchy Timber and Payne Timber want to support the local economy from the grower to the end user and promote a product that has integrity and gives value for money. We are FSC-registered and are in the process of achieving PEFC and ISO9001; this will ensure quality control and certification of many of our products, giving the customer value for money and peace of mind. We can also provide certificates showing chain of custody where necessary. Another of our investments is a state-of-the-art computer- controlled treatment tank.
After the kiln has done its job, the timber goes into the tank and a computer controls the vacuum, pressure and time of treatment. This ensures that the timber undergoing treatment absorbs the correct amount of treatment and gains the penetration required.
What this means is that we know exactly when and how much treatment has gone into the timber.
The result of this is a guaranteed life expectancy and
certification. We are the only mill in the West Country to have a kiln. This enables up to conform properly to the various treatment levels needed for certification.
The kiln used by Duchy Timber. Raw timber about to be sawn at the mill.
Products manufactured by the business in the Westcountry from local wood.
FLOORING
Suppliers of Quality Timber Products
DECKING
FENCING
SAWNED MACHINED SHEETMATERIALS
DOORS
Duchy Timber, Downend, Lostwitiel, Cornwall PL22 0RB
Tel - 01208 872338 Fax - 01208 873657
Email -
sales@duchytimber.co.uk
www.duchytimber.co.uk
Payne Timber, Finnimore Ind Est., Ottery St. Mary, EX11 1NR Payne Timber, Woodlands Road, Torquay, TQ2 7AT
Tel: 01404 815878 Fax: 01404 815879
Email:
sales@paynetimber.co.uk
Tel: 01803 616999 Fax: 01803 616444
Email:
torquaysales@paynetimber.co.uk
www.paynetimber.co.uk
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