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All timber, even carcassing, benefits from good covering and storage. If you have to store carcassing outside:
These products, such as windows and doors, are expensive and can be easily damaged. Typically delivered direct from the factory ready for installation, these products will have been manufactured to a precise moisture content and wrapped to protect the finish. Take extra care when storing them under cover:
A timber product should arrive on site with the right moisture content. Changes to moisture content can give you all sorts of problems. Make sure you:
Advice on stacking and handling wood products safely is available from the Health and Safety Executive (www.hse.gov.uk).
Information on the care of trussed rafters can be found in the Trussed Rafter Association’s Technical Handbook and its Product Data Sheet No 3: Guidelines for the Storage and Erection of Trussed Rafters (www.tra.org.uk).
Remember: They may only be available by special order. Pay special attention to maintaining moisture content. Also, seek manufacturer’s advice for buildings with continuous or underfloor heating.
Timber is the most sustainable mainstream building product. It is naturally renewable. Over 90% of timber used in UK construction comes from Europe, where more trees are grown than harvested (source: TTF Statistical Review 2016).
Softwood and temperate hardwood forests in Scandinavia, Europe, Canada and North America are stable or growing. Growing forests act as carbon sinks; wood products act as carbon stores.
Ask for PEFC or FSC Chain of Custody certification.
See Wood Campus RIBA CPD module Procuring Sustainable Timber for more on timber certification and sustainability and government requirements.