Posted in
Pennyhill Timber Blog by Pennyhill Timber on October 8th 2019
With years of industry experience and a diverse catalogue of different
timber products and supplies to choose from Pennyhill Timber is the ideal
choice for both skilled professional tradespeople and DIY novices. So if
you're in need of timber for your next project or your next job, visit our
Surrey
timber yard
or call our team on 01483 486 739.
What Is Timber?
At its most simple, timber is wood that has been prepared for use in
building or carpentry. It can be in a wide range of different forms in
order to best meet the needs of the specific project.
What Are The Different Types Of Timber
In general, you can describe timber in one of two, either by its species
such as White Oak which is in the
hardwood family
, or you can describe timber by a category regarding its use, for example
landscape sleepers.
Here's a quick guide explaining four different types of timber and their
uses.
- Cladding Timber
Also known as weatherboarding, this timber is used to protect buildings
from the elements as it has good insulation properties. A wide range of
woods are suitable for this application due to their resilience;
including feather edge, Barn Lap, and rebated shiplap in a variety of
lengths and widths to choose from.
-
Decking Boards
There is a diverse range of different types of wood that can be used
for garden decking on our online store, including the most popular
hardwood decking species in the UK, Yellow Balau. This durable type of
tropical hardwood is a great choice as it is easy to clean and
maintain. Our tropical hardwood decking boards are available in
21 x 145 x 3.66m ribbed decking boards
, which make them a great choice for a diverse range of garden decking
projects.
On the other hand, if you would prefer softwood decking, we also have a
selection of Scandinavian Pine decking boards which have been kiln
dried and pressured treated to provide longevity and protect against
damage from both rot and insects.
-
Landscape Sleepers
We have a vast selection of different types of landscape sleepers at
our
timber yard. For example, you could choose green
treated sleepers, which have been pressured treated with a preservative
treatment called tanalith E. Or you could instead choose brown sleepers
which have a coloured additive mixed with the treatment called
Tanatone; this changes the colour from green to brown.
We also have a selection of sleepers that have been prepared in
different ways. For example, Incised Sleepers. These are made using a
practice which is common in North America and Australia. In order to
incise a sleeper, a small knife cuts slots into the surface of the
wood, allowing the chemical preservatives to penetrate the timber more
easily. Another option is a planed all round sleeper; sometimes known
as a planed and bevelled sleeper. The planning and bevelling results in
a smoother surface with rounded edges.
Other options include Oak landscape sleepers which can last for many
years without any form of treatment, or reclaimed sleepers which
provide a rustic and vintage aesthetic. However, if you are interested
in reclaimed sleepers, it is important to remember that reclaimed
sleepers have been treated with Creosote and as such please remember to
take the appropriate safety precautions such as using gloves when
handling and using a dust mask when cutting them. Additionally, please
note that you should not use Creosote treated sleepers in areas where
children will be in regular contact, or in areas where the sleepers
could come into contact with food.
-
Roofing Battens
Also known as battening or roofing lath, roofing battens are pieces of
timber which provide the fixing point for roofing materials. This
includes things such as roofing tiles or shingles. Some battens are
dyed blue, this is often to identify that the items are BS5534 Factory
Graded, which means that they have been pre-graded and marked in
accordance with these standards. Similar to other styles of timber
battens, they are kiln dried and are in order to be used as a
replacement for standard green battens.
Is Your Construction Timber Sustainably Sourced?
As a construction material, timber is fantastic. It's useful for a diverse
range of projects and applications. However, it's very important to ensure
that your timber is sourced from sustainable sources. This is because
timber is only as sustainable as the forest it is sourced from.
Here at Pennyhill Timber, we are members of the FSC® (Forest Stewardship
Council®) and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification)
chain of custody schemes. So when you purchase timber supplies from us, you
can have full confidence and peace of mind because all of our timber
products have been ethically sourced from sustainable forests.
Pennyhill Timber; High Quality Timber Supplies For The Public And Trade
Our products are available to both trade professionals and members of the
public, so if you're an experienced professional or a DIY novice, visit our
timber yard in Surrey or give out staff a call today using the information
available at the bottom of this page.
As an independent timber merchant based in the South of England with
over 15 years of award winning timber knowledge and experience
, it's fair to say we know a thing or two about the timber industry. So if
you need advice or if you have any questions regarding any of the timber
supplies available from our timber yard, our team of experts are on hand to
help.
If you need help, or if you would like to make an enquiry you can speak to
a member of staff by calling Pennyhill Timber on
01483 486 739. Our office opening hours areMonday to Friday 7:00am to 5:00pm and Saturday 8:00am to 12:00pm. You can also get in touch with
our team using the internet, our email address is
info@pennyhilltimber.co.uk.
Alternatively, you could visit our timber yard in person; our address is
The Timber Yard, Lucas Green Road, West End, Woking, Surrey, GU24 9YB.