Timber

Construction Timber from Southern Timber

Ordering timber can be a little confusing - do you want KD (Kiln Dried); Grade C16 or C24 (timber strength grades); pressure treated (preservative) and what section sizes (2x2; 5X2; 6x2 etc)? Why not contact us - our knowledgeable staff are here to help.

Most of our product questions involve timber sizes and timber treatment. Another time we will look at timber grading and typical timber products. First up we have timber sizes.

Timber section sizes – 47mm x 150mm or 6 x 2?

We tend to discuss timber in both metric and imperial timber sizes without pause. This is generally OK when handling timber every day, but not so helpful if you don’t. Because we stock construction timbers from 2 x 2 (aka 47mm x 50mm) up to 9 x 2 (75mm x 225mm) combined with a variety of lengths means staff experience is important.

When customers place an order our sta

A Good Customer of Southern Timber - John Pook from DDE Electrical Engineering came to Aaron Millman from Southern Timber wanting to winterproof a log cabin he had back at home. Aaron went up to have a look at the best options for cladding the cabin. It was then later agreed that some douglas fir waney edge would be most cost effective and look amazing with the area where it was located.

John then placed his order with Southern Timber and within a few weeks it had arrived. Over the course of 5 weekends total John, Aaron and other friends completed the cladding on the cabin. The cabin is much warmer and looks fantastic thanks to the materials and expert help / advice from Southern Timber.

Here at Southern Timber, we are able to supply a vast species of timber in Decking, Cladding and even fencing applications via special order.

If you have an enquiry, please email it to [email protected]

What is a gravel board?

We usually tihnk of a gravel-board as "something" that sits at the bottom of a featherdge fence.  Well, that is correct but there is more to it.  In no particular order:

Sawn 6x1 Timber for the bottom of the fence

Usually matched up with featheredge fence slats, the gravel board is a 150mm or 200mm sawn board that sits horizontally just above ground level. It allows for a neater looking finish and also keeps the board end out of most of the mud and water that seems to live there. However, that isn't it because fence panels appear to have become more refined with slatted and woven panels in great demand.  Well, we can offer longer lengths, typically 3.9metres and above, of planed 150mm scandinavian redwood which can be painted or stained to suit. The weakest part of any wooden fence tends to be in the top 300mm of soil and then the bottom 150mm of the exposed fence. 

Sleepers are always a popular product, we carry three different types – softwood, incised softwood and European oak. They are often used as garden retainers, horizontally or sometimes dug into the ground and used vertically. Other popular applications are for steps and increasingly for garden raised beds. 

Softwood Sleepers

Softwood sleepers are useful for steps, garden retainers and raised beds. Because of their size, and easiness to cut, they are effective in quickly transforming most gardens.  During the planning stage please n

Araxa is a new name, but an established business, in the timber preservation industry. Over the last 20 years the business has changed from Arch Chemicals, to Lonza Wood Protection and now Araxa AG. These specialist chemical firms help develop the wood preservatives that the timber indutry relies on. Moreover, the Treated-Right Warranties are currrently backed by Araxa AG.  

Through independent studies  there is a growing awareness that using timber sourced from sustainable sources is one of the most effective ways to reduce carbon emissions across the construction sector. However, with a spotlight firmly on timber, education about timber protection technologies has never been so crucial.

First and foremost the timber used in construction needs to be properly protected from the threat of decay and insect attack.  Without this, timber structures would be replaced more frequently owing to decay. This means that everyone in the industry has a role to play,

C24 Graded Timber from Scandinavia

The growth in open plan living areas has increased demand for larger section sizes, and lengths, of structural timbers. British timber grows too quickly to grade at C24 so we buy this C24 regularised timber from Scandinavia. This is high quality C24 Graded Timber stock.  We purchase full packs of regularised timber, the timbers within each pack having consistent dimensions and a smoother planed finish than traditional sawn carcassing. Most regularised timber has “eased” edges, the machining processing means that the nominal sizes are reduced slightly.

Timbers all pressure treated with preservative

Our timber carcassing is pressure treated with Tanalith E, or similar, timber preservative. These timbers are intended for use above the ground DPC but where the timber may be subjected to the risk of occasional wetting. Therefore, all cut ends should be resealed with the app

Fifteen Years Decking and Deck Frame Warranty

The decking market has matured  with composite and high-end decking products. We are conscious that some Trade customers, and end-users, are wanting decking that is traditional and cheaper than imported composite decking options. It seemed to us that offering decking products - post  supports, timber joist, decking boards - with a longer service life would be a good option. To this end we have added a selection of UC4 incised decking joists. They are processed to a more stringent specification and consequently the Manufacturer offers a 15 Year guarantee for these selected UC4 products.

UC4 Use Class and C16 Graded 

We can now offer an increased range of timber, and related products, that may be needed for building a new deck. The latest products are UC4 timber joist in

Carcassing 47mm stocks in Devon

Our carcassing stock is strength graded C24, supplied by an established importer. The timber is planed-all-round for consistency and easy handling. Quality is high and supply from Sweden is reliable and consistent.

Carcassing stock section sizes

We keep large quantities of 47mm carcassing while aiming to rotate stock as quickly as feasible.  Incoming carcassing

Overview of CLS Timber

Our CLS carcassing stock is available in sizes 75mm (3x2) and 100mm (4x2). CLS timber is normally used for studwork partitions and so we keep 2.4 metre lengths for interior and 4.8 metre for exterior builds. Stocks are normally graded at C16, sometimes C24 and PEFC sourced.  The PEFC are dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification

The normal stock lengths we carry are:

Growing Demand for Glulams

More buidlings seem to be requiring glulams, Glued Laminated Timber glulams. They are manufactured by bonding together individual laminations of solid timber. This produces a timber cross-section that is larger and longer than may normally be obtained simply by machining a standard log. Glulam products are readily available, extremely reliable and flexible in design.