Each month, in conjunction with the National Merchant Buying Society (NMBS), we release a new Timber Topic for merchants detailing products and their marketing, storage and handling, new developments, and relevant standards.
You can directly download them here or read online by clicking the topics below.
For many the fencing market is at its height during spring and summer, yet climate change is extending the repair and replacement market for fencing across the winter months. Find out how to get the most out of fencing products.
Sustainably-grown machined hardwood mouldings are available, and in species relatively new to the market such as Red Grandis. Meanwhile MDF mouldings are becoming ever-more sophisticated, and are in greater demand.
Make sure you talk to your timber supplier in the coming weeks as shortages on some bread-andbutter timber products, like carcassing and framing timbers, will continue into spring next year.
Retrofitting energy efficiency measures doesn’t sound as if it has anything to do with wood products, but there are lots of opportunities here for fast-thinking merchants.
Equipping your staff with the basic facts about timber products and flame-retardant treatments is the first step towards protecting your reputation
and your customers’ safety.
Modified woods offer merchants new business opportunities. Architects and specifiers are looking for products that store CO2 as part of their professional bodies’ challenge on ‘embodied energy’, also for enhanced-performance products.
Different types of wood flooring products offer merchants different business opportunities. From solid softwood or hardwood to sophisticated engineered wood flooring there’s an option you can offer to suit every customer’s budget.
As there are more homes in England today that were built before 1900 than any other type of home, recognising different timber mouldings and their uses is key to selling the right product for the job when it comes to repairs.
Preservative treatments for all timbers, including garden products, fall into various ‘Use Classes’, depending on their application. Make sure your staff are trained to sell the material with the correct level of treatment for the customer’s end use.
Protecting your stock and storing it properly safeguards its performance and its appearance. Read our tips for keeping everything in tip-top condition so you can make the most of sales when they bounce back.
The roofing season is in full swing. To make sure you can optimise sales, TTF advises selling only roofing battens graded to the full requirements of Annex D of standard BS5534.
These are demanded on FMB, NFRC and NHBC building sites. The batten’s colour does not matter to safety: the grading does.
Early or late, Easter marks the start of the decking season. Make sure you’re well stocked to capture early sales. Timber for decking underframes must be treated to Use Class 4 for ground contact.
Composite decking is often heaver and needs more support. Maximise add-on sales of fixings, coatings & tools.
With such a wide variety of sheet materials, it’s easy to find a product for your customer’s specific end use, but are you selling the right material for the right job? Follow our tips to better understand the material you’re selling, and gain a sure footing for enhancing sales.
Treat carcassing with care over winter. If you must store dry-graded carcassing outside then lightly re-cover exposed packs at the end of the day for protection.
Use Class 2 treated carcassing is only for internal work; Use Class 4 treated material is for use in ground contact.
