OSB ON THE JOB: CASE STUDY 2 -YORKSHIRE TIMBER MERCHANTS
After 14 years of working together, Martin Kipping, Paul Emmett and Dave Robinson decided it was time to set up their own timber merchants and two years on, the company has achieved an impressive turnover of £3million. Currently employing 17 people, Yorkshire Timber Merchants has a fleet of wagons including crane off-loaders and large wagons to smaller pick-up trucks, and stock all timber and sheet material, including Oriented Strand Board.
"We serve all areas of the trade from the jobbing builder to larger construction companies and contracting firms, and what we have seen is an increase in uptake of timber that carries the right quality certifications." says Martin.
"Our customers rely on the advice we can give when it comes to specifying the right product for the job, and when considering the fit-for-purpose strengths of OSB within a structural situation, we certainly point them in the right direction.
"We stock both OSB2 (unconditioned) and OSB3 (conditioned) panels, in 9mm, 11mm and 18mm thicknesses, and this is primarily bought by roofing contractors, timber frame developers, as well as builders looking for a few sheets for hoarding or general purpose use.
OSB vs. Plywood
"Whereas the construction industry has had problems with some plywoods delaminating after time, causing defects in roofing applications where it has been used, we know that OSB is guaranteed for a wide range of applications because of the quality it has to offer over low grade ply."
OSB comes with the reassurance of quality credentials including: EN300 for strength and stability such that OSB can satisfy the loading requirements given in BS 5268 'Structural use of Timber'. OSB is also approved by the British Board of Agrément and the Irish Agrément board and its reliability and safety is also recognised by Homebond, Local Authority building inspectors and the NHBC. All OSB boards also comply with the Construction Products Directive (CPD) for structural use.
"The next big thing as far as we are concerned is the environment", continues Martin. "The media is really onto this issue at the moment, but for the timber industry it is a Government driven shift in expectations, with everything now becoming FSC certified. This has become a key factor in forming purchasing decisions, as builders and contractors seek to ensure they are using materials from sustainable sources.
"In recent years, the industry has witnessed a huge volume of poor quality plywood imports from the Far East and in my opinion, there is a real inconsistency in the composition of the boards. There is also no governed system for managing the source of these kinds of plywood, whereas that is simply not the case with OSB."
All the right credentials
"Councils and housing associations are looking for certain certification to make sure that the timber has come from a sustainable, managed source and in turn, they expect builders to prove they have the right credentials for the materials they use, which may explain why people are coming in and asking for Oriented Strand Board more and more.
"Price is always going to be a factor in the purchasing process, especially when low grade plywoods come with a slightly cheaper price tag, but you really do get what you pay for. Customers will take these panels away and then find that they are inconsistent when they are cut, having not been glued properly or with voids between the layers. This obviously creates a weakness in the panel and may render the panel completely useless.
"As far as we are concerned, a stitch in time saves nine and if the job is done properly first time round, then our customers are not going to have any problems. OSB has the full back up and it's BBA certificated so we can sell the product with confidence."
