Timber Merchants

Timber Buying Guide

Timber can usually be bought from d-i-y shops, some hardware stores and iron-mongers, builders’ merchants and, of course, timber merchants. The smaller shops and many builders” merchants do not stock hardwoods but most towns have at least one limber merchant or saw mill selling softwoods and hardwoods.

Timber merchants are often cheaper lhan other shops, particularly for large quantities, and lend to know more about wood how to use it and how to treat it. But the larger ones are often busy supplying the trade and will generally expect a fairly large order presented in a knowledgeable manner. Common sizes are widely available in the large do-it-yourself superstores.

Small timber merchants who rely heavily on d-i-y customers and builders’ merchants mainly slock softwoods. The timber can vary in quality so it is essential to choose it carefully yourself and not to order it by telephone. However, by care¬ful choice, it is possible to buy small quantities of good quality timber cheaper than from many large timber merchants. From time to time, small timber mer¬chants obtain limited quantities of new or reclaimed hardwoods. If you have much call for hardwoods, il may be worthwhile making frequent visits and to buy materials for future use.

Many d-i-y shops carry a stock of stan¬dard size softwoods and will often cut wood to size, though the cost may be fairly high.

Timber prices can vary widely so it is worth shopping around before you buy. Stockists generally work out their timber prices on the basis of its cost a cubic metre. What this means is that 1.8m length of 50 x 50mm softwood generally costs twice as much as a 1.8m length of 50 x 25mm. Very small sizes (which involve a lot of work for their volume) and very large sizes (which may be difficult for the timber merchant to get) often work out more expensive than you would expect. Many timber merchants price their softwood by the metre but sell it in the standard metric lengths. Hard¬woods are sometimes still priced by the foot.

Some limber stockists use a sliding scale for working out their discounts the more you order the less expensive it is a metre. Others have a simple cut-off point quantities up to 100m are one price a metre, quantities over 100m are cheaper, so it can work out less expensive to buy 56 standard 1.8m lengths of soft¬wood (100.8m) than 55 (99m). Most stockists deliver timber but charges and distances vary.

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