Author Topic: The price of timber - what is it in other countries? (Read 3116 times)

mrcharly-YHT · « **on:** 06 December, 2021, 01:41:41 pm »

I'm curious about the impact of the pandemic etc on the price of building materials, specifically timber.

A few weeks back I paid this:
Sheet of building-quality ply, 12mm - £60
4.8m length of 100mmx50mm, planed - £20

What are the prices like on the continent?

Canardly · « **Reply #1 on:** 06 December, 2021, 01:58:00 pm »

Strewth!

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #2 on:** 06 December, 2021, 02:34:25 pm »

You can’t get the wood, you know! ~ Henery Crun, yesterday

T42 · « **Reply #3 on:** 06 December, 2021, 04:13:37 pm »

Haven't bought any for a couple of years. IIRC 5mm oak-faced hardwood ply was around 40€ the m² if you bought the full 2 m² sheet. Planed oak boards 14 x 2 cm were 24€ each.

The shop would cut the ply on a high-quality saw at 3€ the cut.

rafletcher · « **Reply #4 on:** 06 December, 2021, 04:28:20 pm »

That ply looks expensive - but at least you got it. Locally it's all out of stock (and Marine ply too, at £75 a 12mm sheet).

road-runner · « **Reply #5 on:** 06 December, 2021, 04:52:17 pm »

Quote from: mrcharly-YHT on 06 December, 2021, 01:41:41 pm

What are the prices like on the continent?

Multiply these continental prices by 0.85 to get an approximate pounds sterling equivalent. 20% VAT is included.

I bought these in Slovakia:
19th Nov 2019, 15mm OSB, €16.46
21st May 2020, 15mm OSB, €13.73
21st May 2020, 18mm MDF, €38.60
21st Jan 2021, 18mm plywood, €75.83
21st Jan 2021, 8mm plywood, €36.08

Someone I know in Portugal bought these recently:
21st Nov 2021, 19mm chipboard, €38.64
21st Nov 2021, 19mm plywood, €73.33

Apart from the 18 and 19mm plywood none of that is exactly comparable. We started Covid lockdowns in March 2020 but it looks as though there was enough prepared timber that by May prices had not been affected. 2021 is a different story!

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #6 on:** 06 December, 2021, 05:12:58 pm »

Jewsons is quoting £62 for 18mm ply, so that seems fairly comparable.

robgul · « **Reply #7 on:** 06 December, 2021, 05:20:29 pm »

These links give prices at Hornbach in Germany (like B&Q or Wickes . . . but much bigger and better) for some sheet materials

Plywood: https://www.hornbach.de/shop/Moebelbau/Sperrholzplatten/S13938/artikelliste.html?searchTerm=Sperrholz%20

MDF: https://www.hornbach.de/shop/Moebelbau/MDF-Platten/S13802/artikelliste.html

Chipboard: https://www.hornbach.de/shop/Moebelbau/Spanplatten/S13939/artikelliste.html

robgul · « **Reply #8 on:** 06 December, 2021, 05:26:23 pm »

Quote from: mrcharly-YHT on 06 December, 2021, 05:12:58 pm

Jewsons is quoting £62 for 18mm ply, so that seems fairly comparable.

Yebbut what grade is it? - the stuff at the local Jewsons to me is total crap, in all thicknesses.

Decent grade Birch plywood suitable for making furniture* that isn't to be painted is around £100 for an 8 x 4 sheet (that's the stuff with minimal knots and voids and very few "plugs" and then only on one face)

* I make tables and cupboards from it, exposed edges etc - quite "industrial" and fashionable. Enquiries welcome

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #9 on:** 06 December, 2021, 05:35:34 pm »

All I can get hold of on the islands now is shuttering grade ply. Utter crap.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #10 on:** 06 December, 2021, 05:52:12 pm »

I'm sure someone (might have been fboab) said recently that the price of timber was not all pandem related but also due to Trump sticking tariffs on Canadian timber so they all started buying the European stocks.

In semi related news I was advised tonight that, unsurprisingly, fence panels here are like gold dust and the only reason the neighbour on my left got ours replaced was because her nephew called in a favour.

Jurek · « **Reply #11 on:** 06 December, 2021, 06:51:14 pm »

This isn't the moment to be getting Gary (my low budget fix it man) to be giving me quotes on replacing my fence.
Is it?

ian · « **Reply #12 on:** 06 December, 2021, 07:00:13 pm »

It took us about six months to get our fence replaced some years back owing to a near total unavailability of decent grade fence panels.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #13 on:** 06 December, 2021, 07:46:37 pm »

Quote from: Jurek on 06 December, 2021, 06:51:14 pm

This isn't the moment to be getting Gary (my low budget fix it man) to be giving me quotes on replacing my fence.
Is it?

No.

I'm really hoping that my neighbour on the right who dismantled his fence completely after it fell over kept all the wood to rebuild it and isn't thinking he'll be doing it all again from scratch in a hurry...

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #14 on:** 06 December, 2021, 07:50:13 pm »

Ought to be plenty trees about locally though as Pingu posted in another thread
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-59552325

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #15 on:** 06 December, 2021, 08:02:13 pm »

Quote from: Jurek on 06 December, 2021, 06:51:14 pm

This isn't the moment to be getting Gary (my low budget fix it man) to be giving me quotes on replacing my fence.
Is it?

BBC Londonton weather says 50 mph winds tomorrow teatime, so probably not.

Beardy · « **Reply #16 on:** 06 December, 2021, 08:46:18 pm »

..ic hedges are the best replacement for fences and they don't get blown down every time there's a bit of wind

Jakob · « **Reply #17 on:** 06 December, 2021, 09:03:30 pm »

I wonder if it's a delayed reaction to the lumber crisis we had here (Canada/US). Prior to covid, several saw mills burned down and as covid hit, the industry thought it would lead to a massive downturn and laid off tons of staff (when the opposite turned out to be true). Within 6 months, a 2x4" went from $3.50 to $12+. Supply has been back to normal for 6 months or so now and prices are now almost back to normal.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #18 on:** 06 December, 2021, 10:32:50 pm »

Quote from: Beardy on 06 December, 2021, 08:46:18 pm

..ic hedges are the best replacement for fences and they don't get blown down every time there's a bit of wind

If it were my fence I'd probably replace it with a dead hedge - plenty of materials for it lying about now. But it's not, apparently.
I am planning to attempt to plant a hedge round the leylandii roots at the end of the garden eventually. Not quite sure how far in the future that will be though. Need to shift all the bark chippings first. And get all medieval on it's ass with a rotovator and/or other such aggressive equipment.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #19 on:** 06 December, 2021, 10:38:08 pm »

High timber prices and maintenance requirements make alternatives look better.
https://www.ecoplasticwood.com/product-range/plastic-wood-fencing/

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #20 on:** 06 December, 2021, 10:39:14 pm »

Boo plastic.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #21 on:** 06 December, 2021, 10:41:04 pm »

Recycled plastic. It is better than going straight to landfill. Something has to become a market for plastic that is being recycled.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #22 on:** 06 December, 2021, 10:54:00 pm »

Totally agree, don't want it where I could be encouraging wildlife instead though.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #23 on:** 06 December, 2021, 11:00:11 pm »

Can’t argue with that!

rafletcher · « **Reply #24 on:** 07 December, 2021, 07:53:13 am »

Quote from: Mrs Pingu on 06 December, 2021, 05:52:12 pm

I'm sure someone (might have been fboab) said recently that the price of timber was not all pandem related but also due to Trump sticking tariffs on Canadian timber so they all started buying the European stocks.

She did indeed, so we'll end up buying Canadian timber to make up for the shortage in Europe