Where to buy timber?

[Bert Coules]

What's the general opinion on what sort of supplier to use for timber? I'm not after anything fancy: I plan to line my garage with battening, insulate between the battens and cover with sheeting, but should I be looking at "proper" timber yards, builders' suppliers like Jewson and Travis Perkins, the big DIY stores, or what? In the past I've had good and bad wood from a multitude of sources: at least in Wickes, say, I could select the wood myself and reject anything that's twisted. Is there a particular type or grade of timber I should use?

I'm in SE Kent (nearest town, Hythe). Can anyone recommend a good source for my area? Or even wider afield if the quality could be guaranteed.

Many thanks.

Bert

[Bob Minchin]

I would go to a builders merchant that carries significant stocks of timber. Some specialise in other areas and only have minimal timber. Don't be afraid to ask for a discount or 'best price'

I suggest regularised sawn carcassing for your battens. This way they will all be the same size and have rounded corners and a nearly smoothed finish which better to handle. Consider pressure treated timber if it is likely to get damp. You might get away with shuttering ply which is about the ceapest. If you ue 22mm then this will be strong enough for modest shelving an cupboards without necessarily having to pick up on your studs every time. Splash cheap white emulsion on all over and this will improve the effectiveness of your lighting.

Bob

[Bert Coules]

Bob, that's very useful (as is the rest of the advice). Many thanks.

Bert

[Tabby]

shuttering ply has a very rough finish, and will need PBing

NT

[Tabby]

For battens you can buy substandard junk from a junk yard or reclaim yard. Finish doesnt matter, nor does mild to moderate damage, or variation in width if you're not using hard insulation boards.

NT

[Bert Coules]

Sorry, "PBing"? Surely not plasterboarding?

Thanks for the reply.

Bert

[Tabby]

For habitable use it would need PB for finish and fire safety - for a garage of course it can be omitted.

NT

[Jules Richardson]

peanutbuttering. :-)

[Bert Coules]

I'm all for economy, and thanks for the suggestion, but I would prefer to work with decent quality wood and I will need to keep fairly careful track of the exact positions of the battens, so anything too wayward would be awkward. Also, junk and reclamation yards aren't too thick on the ground where I am, so the costs of delivery might well outweigh any savings. I'll see what's around, though.

Bert

[John Rumm]

aka "CLS" these days.

Another option for cheap tannalised battens is to buy packs of tile batten - limited size, but a cheap way of getting lots of timber.

[John Rumm]

I used basic 1/2" shuttering ply on my workshop lining. Once painted, the finish is acceptable. Its not rough as such - just does not have a particularly nice grain pattern since its spiral cut.

[D.M.Chapman]

have been brilliant in the past, and very helpful.

Ignore the prices on the website (and the range). I found prices, delivery charges and stock much better at the yard than on the website.

Ideally, pop in and visit them.

Disclaimer: I've not used them for 2 years now - not aware of changes but YMMV

Let us know if they are still good!

Darren

[Bert Coules]

Darren, thanks for that. I just went to their site and it seems that things have changed: they're now part of a chain called TimberClick ("The new way to buy timber") and it looks as though they're concentrating on online ordering: the Folkestone address doesn't appear at all on the TimberClick site.

I'll drop round there as soon as I can and see what's happening.

Bert

[Bert Coules]

I just rang the old Channel Woodcraft number and got diverted to TimberClick. Apparently the Folkestone yard is now nothing to do with them, and is just a small one-man operation with limited stock (George Bauer, on

01303 850 231). "TimberClick are virtual only, sir" I was told.

From the Timber Click website: "The buying of timber products is traditionally somewhat cumbersome and awkward - TimberClick removes the hassle of having to trapse [sic] round timber yards". Well, nuts to that.

Bert

[John Williamson]

How do you pick the straight piece with the nicest grain online?

[stuart noble]

Actually there's one in Hastings by the entrance to Morrissons car park. It was closed when I was there but looked quite interesting

[Bert Coules]

I've had a search around on Google street view but haven't found it yet. I'll keep looking. Thanks.

Bert

[stuart noble]

Here it is.

[Bert Coules]

details. Their website rather gives the impression that they make furniture from reclaimed wood rather than supplying the raw material, but perhaps they do both. In any case, I'll investigate further.

Bert

[Bert Coules]

They do do both. I've just found this on their site:

"The wood is either prepared for re-sale or made into saleable furniture."

Thanks again.

Bert