Timber Supplier

 

How to get the most competitive timber or Wood prices from your Wood supplier?

As a person who has been an active part of the Timber and Wood business for over 20 years I realise that obtaining a quality timber product at an affordable price isn’t always as easy as it may first seem. There are a number of wood suppliers in the market place all competing for their slice of the cake and therefore offering cut prices. The question is at what cost do these cut price timber products come in at.

Is Cheap timber always the best option and how do I get the best Price ?

The answer to the first part of the question is quite simply NO discounted timber isn’t always the best option however that isn’t to say that there aren’t good deals to be had you just need to make sure that you are shopping for the right product. Here are a few tips when trying to obtain the most competitive  timber prices also in turn not reducing the quality of the Wood that is purchased.

• Firstly work out with a carpenter the suitable or required Timber specification for the job. ( Hardwood or Softwood ).
• Work out a detailed Wood quantities & Sundry timber product list that you require for the whole job.
• Put the whole list together as one large order. ( More likely to get a better discount on a big order ).
• Look on-line for your local Timber Merchant.
• Ring up your local superstores to see if they have any Wood offers at the present time.
• Check if there are different grades of that particular type of timber.
• Get 3 Quotes and let each of the Wood suppliers know that you are shopping around. ( Fight it out ).

 

What to look out For when purchasing timber and sheet materials. Here a few potential banana skins -

• Softwood - Softwood especially comes in a wide variety of different grades all with varying degrees of stability and aesthetic suitability.  ( EG You wouldn’t want to use ungraded timber on a roof ). Ask a carpenter the grade of timber that you require.

           

 

• Plywood - Plywood also comes in a variety of different grades. What one supplier calls WBP Plywood another may call EN636-2.

( Varying grades of Plywood can make a huge difference to the Lifespan and suitability of the product along with a vast difference in the overall cost ). Make sure that when looking for quotes that you quote like for like.

 

• Oak & Hardwoods – In the case of Oak and other Hardwoods there are various specifications eg – Sleeper Grade, D50 Oak, Construction Grade Oak. Along with Kiln Dried, Air Dried, Green. Then you have American White Oak & European Oak.

( For example you wouldn’t use Kiln Dried American White Oak on an external application you would use European Oak ).

 

Overall when purchasing wooden or timber products firstly find out exactly what they are  being used for next ask a qualified person what grade or specification is required to carry the job out to a high standard and lastly make sure that you quote like for like with the supplier.

 

If you require any further information please feel free to drop me a line in Swansea South Wales ( 01792 884828 ). Where we can advise you of the correct Wood for the job.