TIMBER QUALITY TIME
As the country gets set for a difficult winter, Shaun Revill Trading Director at SR Timber reflects on the state of the timber industry and what merchants can expect in the short term.
W
ith energy costs continuing to escalate, it’s no surprise businesses are doing what they can to protect margins. In
response to this, we urge buyers to be aware of unscrupulous suppliers who may try to pass off cheaper, substandard timber products as an acceptable alternative. The cascading effect of this is the potential for insolvencies in UK construction companies operating on razor thin margins who are caught out by the problems with cheaper batten. According to the UK’s Construction Leadership Council’s Product Availability working group’s September update: “With energy costs rising, forward replacement prices for structural softwood are unlikely to be at current UK levels”.
The statement goes on to say that while there are good stocks of structural softwood timber and wood-based panels on the ground, it warns that “stocks at ports are much lower”. In response, the working group says “buyers will need to consider forward purchases to ensure the specifications they require are available through to year end and into 2023”
The worry is that supply chain issues, increased material costs and pressure on margins combined with a slowing demand for construction services could lead to some timber suppliers trying to pass off cheaper, substandard, and dangerous timber products,
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The issue of substandard quality battens has also been highlighted by trade organisations such as NFRC and Timber Development UK in its Technical Note: Tile Batten Quality Control. This document urges merchants, importers, manufacturers and roofers alike to undertake “spot checks” on each delivery of battens they receive and it urges them to reject deliveries where sizes do not meet the British Standards tolerances defined in BS 5534. Interestingly, this Technical Note also highlights claims that some suppliers may be cutting corners on batten timber treatment. Battens should be preservative treated using a pressure impregnation process to give them a desired service life of 60 years. However, the Technical Note says there are claims that “dip treatment” is being used by some suppliers. Merchants should insist on a treatment certificate for each batten assignment they receive. This will confirm whether the goods supplied meet the requirements of Use Class 2 using a pressure impregnation process. Similarly, importers, merchants and buyers should ensure that the batten production process has been subject to third party quality assurance (QA). So, alongside the treatment certificate they should also obtain copies of QA certificates, which should be retained with their purchase records.
specifically roofing battens, as a viable alternative.
This is an issue raised by a working group chaired by the NFRC, which includes TDUK, NHBC, LABC, with leading suppliers including SR Timber, as well as independent timber grading businesses in attendance. It said it was “concerned to hear increasing reports of ungraded and poor-quality battens being stamped as standard”.
It is a concern that should be a warning to both merchants and roofers alike. Good quality battens are vital for the safety of roofers while a roof is under construction. They are also critical for the integrity of the completed roof because they support the weight of the tiles and any additional loads imposed on them, such as from wind and snow.
The good news is that there is increasing awareness of the need for quality battens and there are reports of a gradual reduction of substandard product entering the UK. It is also reassuring to hear of reports from importers and sawmills that an increased focus on standards from customers is resulting in quality control being tightened at source. There are concerns, however, that with the news that timber prices are likely to rise compared to current UK price levels those same customers will need to redouble their focus on maintaining standards to ensure increases in materials costs and pressure on margins do not lead to a relaxation in controls to cut costs.
Moving forward, all those involved in the batten supply chain need to remain vigilant and continuously check the product they’re purchasing, selling, or working with. It is also worth mentioning that importers placing BS 5534 marked tile batten on the market take on manufacturers’ legal responsibility to ensure compliance with the standard. For products used and installed at height such as batten, importers should have the records to be able to demonstrate a formal programme of technical due diligence and random inspection to ensure the products that they are placing on the market comply with BS 5534.
(-> p26)
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net December 2022
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