TIMBER
SAVING STOCK WITH SENSIBLE STORAGE SOLUTIONS
With business slower than it might otherwise have been, it’s important to ensure that stock is protected and kept in good condition until it is sold.
I
n the present uncertain times, it seems only sensible for merchants to protect their invest- ment in timber and wood products by making sure they are stored in good condition until business perks up again. Timber Trade Fed- eration members covering a diversity of wood product types talked to BMJ to give their best advice to help merchants through periods of temporary shut-down or slower-than-average business.
Storing softwoods One of the staples of the building trade, softwoods need as much care as any other product group. “The key is to protect your valuable investment in stock,” says David Chapman, sales & marketing director at BSW Timber.
“When timber is unloaded, if it’s coming inside the shed, take off the pack wrapping to allow the timber to breathe. If the pack is being stored outside, leave the wrapping on to protect it from rain, sun and wind. When a pack is opened, you still need to protect it,“ he continues. “We recommend stapling a tile batten across the front face along the length of the pack to weight the wrap down and help keep it in place. Also when packs are opened, regularly remake the stacks: straightened packs will retain shape better.”
Jason Dodd, sales manager at Setra Wood Products UK, adds: “For internal-use softwoods, standard practice applies as much now as at any time, namely storing materials in a dry, airy environment which is not exposed to extremes of heat. Different merchants have their favoured methods of storing skirtings, architraves and other mouldings, whether that’s in pigeonhole racks or in A-frames: both methods are designed to keep timber as stable as possible.” He continues: “However, both methods still require good stock rotation, for example putting older stock towards the front and newer stock behind.”
MDF mouldings
Dry and well-ventilated conditions are also best for storing MDF mouldings, according to Simon Fleet, group commercial director of
W.Howard Group.
“
W.Howard’s Polyco Wrapped MDF Profiles are robust and durable, but during these challenging times we know that stock may be in storage for longer than normal, as builders’ merchants sales reduce and some distributors have made the decision to close completely,” he says.
“During these times, we recommend that our Wrapped MDF Profiles are stored in dry, well-ventilated conditions to reduce the risk of absorbing moisture. The profiles should be stacked on a minimum of four bearers, and any protective wrapping should be left in place until the time of use.
“Particular care must be taken when stacking the product face to face, and during transportation, as even slight friction or sliding can cause damage to the decorative surface. This is especially important when handling and storing fully finished items,” he concludes. Added-value products such as engineered timber flooring are an asset worth extra care, says Rob Eckersley, director at The Solid Wood Flooring Company:
“Wood flooring must be stored flat to avoid bowing. Never stand packs or boards on their ends. Wood flooring needs to be stored in an
May 2020
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net
environment that has a relative humidity of between 35-65% with a consistent temperature. Keep wood flooring away from any moisture- rich sources such as insufficiently protected sheds or containers, and advise customers to store flooring away from garages and away from wet plaster, if work at a site is on-going.”
Stacking sheets correctly As one of the major suppliers of sheet materials, a spokesperson for MEDITE SMARTPLY’s Technical Department provided some key pointers on storage for customers. If possible packs should stay strapped with the packaging undamaged. Panels should be stored horizontally and lifted clear of the floor using dry bearers as supports. Bearers should be of equal thickness and placed at not more than 800mm centres for boards of 15mm thickness and upwards, using a minimum of three bearers. Closer spacing of the bearers is required for thinner boards.
The bearers supporting successive layers should be in vertical alignment. Stacks of panels should have flush sides to minimise damage to protruding edges or overhanging corners. The storage area for sheet materials should be dry and well ventilated and an average relative humidity of 65-70% will maintain board moisture content in the range 8-10%. If extreme damp or moist storage conditions are expected, stacked boards should be covered by plastic sheeting. One or two scrap boards should be placed on top of stacked panels to reduce the effect of short-term changes in environmental conditions and to protect from damage.
Specialist outdoor products These days merchant add value to their local offering by stocking a range of different outdoor products, from fencing to roofing battens (tilings or slatings), and sleepers. Laura Qualters, national technical manager at Marley Ltd, points out that roofing battens need protection, but also to be well–lathed (supported) to prevent sagging and aid ventilation. Anti-slip decking should be stacked face to face (grit to grit) and then lathed on alternate rows.
Key points
The sales team at Metsä Wood neatly sums up the collective advice: • Keep it dry • Keep it clean • Keep it flat
• Avoid outdoor storage if at all possible. If it isn’t possible, make sure that the timber is very well wrapped and protected from the elements. • Use good bearers, enough of them, and ensure they’re all in alignment BMJ
27
Alexander Schimmeck
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
