"Unstored" timber? "VTHS"?

Question

One of the timber merchants local to me recommended in one of my other threads (Where to buy timber?) is the East Kent Timber Company, just outside Canterbury. Their website is at

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On the page devoted to Quality Softwood Joinery the timber is classified as two types: UNSTORED and VTHS. A bit of Googling suggests that the latter is actually "Vths" (ie 5ths or fifths) though I've not been able to find out exactly what that means as yet - but UNSTORED has me baffled, unless - and I've only just this moment thought of this - it means that they don't keep it in stock but have to get it in specially. Since the very same page talks about their "extensive stocks" this seems a tad unlikely.

I'd appreciate a translation of both terms. Many thanks.

Bert

Bob Minchin · Accepted Answer

Try this  selection 1.htmland following pagesBob

Bert Coules · Answer

Bob,So UNSTORED is actually a mistype for UNSORTED.  Good grief.  And in the case of that particular yard, the sizes I'm after (75x100mm and 75x150mm) are only available as unsorted.Thanks for your help.Bert

stuart noble · Answer

And none of it means anything if you don't know where the timber comes from, an Upper Gulf 5th often being superior to a Lower Gulf unsorted. The "shipping marks", printed in red on the end grain should tell the whole story, but there is no official guide to allow you to decipher them.

Bert Coules · Answer

The site I've been looking at doesn't go into details.Ah, I had the wrong wrong idea about that: I thought that any graded timber was automatically superior to any unsorted.Thanks for the reply.Bert

Bolted · Answer

It is graded - 4ths or better, it is just unsorted between thosegrades (which are never - or at least practically never - sold asindividual grades).

Bert Coules · Answer

Ah, right.  Thanks very much.Bert

"Unstored" timber? "VTHS"?

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