Coming into the market now is good because people are open to new solutions,” said Neil Lewis, who heads I-joist manufacturer Masonite Beams UK.
Masonite, which relaunched during the summer, had one of the bigger Timber Zone presences on the stand of its parent company the Byggma Group.
Mr Lewis said a third distributor would be appointed shortly, following the appointment of Wyder Engineered Timber Systems and Harlow Bros.
“The I-joist market is quite interesting with some aggressive new market entrants entering at the same time. The existing suppliers have maybe got a bit comfortable and we’ve found it is a good opportunity.”
He said Masonite’s aim was to build a brand name that could establish itself in the market the way iLevel’s TJI joists did, before the latter chose to exit the UK.
Masonite showcased its Flexible Building System, which includes a separating floor system using a 49-90mm solid timber core with K40 HDF board either side. This sits on the I-joist floor.
A wall section on the stand comprised Masonite joists and, unlike standard platform timber frame, the floor system hangs off the wall’s K40 board inner leaf – allowing construction up to eight storeys.
