TIMBER
TIPPING THE SCALES TOWARDS TIMBER
David Hopkins, CEO of Timber Development UK, says wood will be centre-stage in 2022.
years with hyper-unusual demand patterns, we can’t be sure. Yet here are some of the most likely influencing factors we can foresee, to help you draw your own conclusions and position your business for 2022. Firstly, the shift to part- time working from home, for those who are able to do so, is here to stay. Thus demand is likely to continue for products that enable builders and householders to create working space in their homes and gardens.
H
aving been asked to address the World Leaders’ Forum at COP 26 on the subject of sustainable timber, one thing is for certain: the role of wood in a low carbon economy is now centre stage. This will tip the business balance in favour of those who know their wood, and are able to exploit the potential. Given all this global attention, what is likely to lie ahead for merchant supplies in 2022?
Without the psychic talents of Mystic Meg, and having been through two pandemic-hit
Secondly, new-build construction is continuing apace, and industry analysts Glenigan have highlighted a possible growth in housing starts of 11% in 2022, with a return to 2017 levels in 2023. NHBC also says the market “remains buoyant” with new home registrations already up by 14% in the autumn, and this despite what it describes as “significant supply chain challenges”. Major developers are planning to open more sales offices, and have strong forward development pipelines. The Construction Products Association are more cautious, estimating growth in construction output overall at 5% in 2022. Another factor potentially influencing timber demand is the emphasis on retrofit to
meet net zero carbon targets. The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) are leading the Construction Leadership Council’s workstream on retrofit. Make sure your staff are aware of the opportunities, and equipped with basic knowledge for this growth arena. Our leaflet, ‘Wood and Retrofit: Good for the Climate’, already features on the FMB’s members’ resources page. Give your staff the same advantage and make them ready to answer builders’ questions by downloading a copy of the leaflet from our Merchants Resources page. On the supply side, record amounts of softwood timber and wood products are now reaching the UK or being produced: our late autumn Market Statement gives further details. With supplies increasing, a market correction may follow at some point. The problems then transfer to port congestion, caused by the lack of HGV drivers, to get that material on its way to customers. Supplies of some overseas hardwoods are also suffering the same logistics issues, in addition to the high cost of international freight.
Planning your requirements for timber and wood products for 2022 will remain a balancing act, and keeping in contact with your suppliers is a given. However, the climate change scales are tipping in favour of timber for construction and insulation, as well as for mental wellbeing, through biophilic building design, and for the health of building occupants. Timber products will thus remain the merchant’s most profitable category well beyond 2022. BMJ
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www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net February 2022
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