Another Scottish timber frame manufacturer has confirmed its intention to establish a production facility in England as part of a bid to expand its customer base south of the border. The decision by Elgin-based Robertson Timber Products (RTP) was described as “a tangible sign” of its belief that “the timber frame industry will continue to grow throughout the UK” .
Making the announcement at the Scotbuild exhibition in Glasgow earlier this month, RTP said it was investing in a custom-built manufacturing plant and associated offices at Seaham in County Durham. The factory is due to open by June next year and will lead to a four-fold increase in company production, which is currently based entirely at Elgin. The aim is to create 40 jobs at RTP within the first two years of the new operation and to increase annual timber frame sales from around £7.5m at present to more than £40m by 2005.
Boosting sales prospects
Along with Aberdeen-based Stewart Milne Timber Systems, which has established a factory at Witney in Oxfordshire, RTP believes a production presence south of the border will significantly boost sales prospects in an increasingly-receptive English market. Timber frame accounts for less than 10% of new build in England but interest is undoubtedly on the increase, according to RTP’s sales manager Stephen Calveley. “We were at Interbuild in Birmingham for the first time this year and got a tremendous response,” he said in Glasgow. “We have had a lot of firm orders as a direct result of being at Interbuild.”
Major force
The new factory development at Seaham will cost more than £5m and will help make RTP “a major force in the UK timber frame industry”, according to Robertson Group executive chairman Bill Robertson. In addition to the proposed investment at Seaham, RTP has just introduced new capacity at its Elgin base.
As always, Scotbuild provided timber-related firms with a chance to showcase new products for a predominantly Scottish audience. For example, Kronoply GmbH of Germany, part of the Swiss-based Krono group of companies, exhibited several new products including Kronotec DP 35 and Kronotec WP 35 lightweight MDF rigid board for use as exterior sheathing for timber frame walls and lower deck boards in the roof area because this construction material “is open to vapour diffusion and can be used to provide structural reinforcement”. The subject of a RIBA trial in London, the product is 40mm thick, has a density of 350kg/m3 and is resistant to water run-off from 18 degrees.
Industrial panels
Kronoply was also promoting its AntiSlip industrial panels for use in, for example, vehicle flooring, wall panels and shelf bases. The product comprises a film coating of 220g/m2 each side applied to an industrial panel, with a heavy-duty Kronoply OSB panel used as the base. The surface structure in ‘sieve’ or ‘rhomb’ versions fixes a load by means of a high friction resistance.
AntiSlip is available in large-size industrial panels of 6000x2500mm which is said to be “ideal for cutting into sections with minimal loss”.
Also on the Kronoply stand were examples of its recent Loft-Click and Woody developments. The former is a 15mm flooring OSB 3 in sections measuring 1200x320mm which, for ease of fitting, has a ‘click’ profile along its length and a T&G profile along its width. According to UK sales manager David Huggins, Loft-Click provides a thickness advantage over conventional 18mm chipboard. The product is aimed at the DIY sector and will be advertised on television from late next month, he added.
As for Woody, this 12mm thick OSB ‘budget’ flooring material was featured in the make-up of the Kronoply stand at Scotbuild. The product is sanded on the surface to enable customers to add a stain, lacquer or varnish.
Hardwood flooring
Flying the flag for timber merchants at Scotbuild was Rembrand Timber Ltd of Dundee, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Speaking to TTJ during the show, managing director George Low pointed to the addition of several new products to the company’s portfolio, including the Nexus range of pre-finished, solid hardwood flooring from Hoebeek of Belgium for whom Rembrand is the exclusive Scottish distributor. End-matched for ease of laying, the flooring is available in oak, maple and birch. Mr Low commented: “My view is that the market is going to move away from laminated and engineered flooring to solid flooring. This range gives us an inroad into the solid flooring market in Scotland.”
A range of high-performance external doorsets designed by Rembrand Timber and manufactured by Bruksdorren AB of Sweden was also launched at the show. Featuring external plywood faces and a teak stain, these are “fully assembled and factory stained finished ready for immediate installation”, according to the Scottish firm.
Video instructions
Also new to the Rembrand Timber range and featured in its new brochure are Arke spiral staircases from Italy, each of which is supplied with a 25-minute assembly video. Some versions combine high-quality beech with steel and provide customers with plenty of scope for customisation.
Commenting on general feedback from visitors to the show, Mr Low believed there was a growing willingness among buyers to “pay more for quality”, as well as a trend favouring pre-finished products.
The show also saw the launch by DuPont Tyvek of its FRAMEWRAP spunbound polypropylene breather membrane which has been specially designed for timber frame housing. The product has a vapour permeability of around 2400g/m2/day and a vapour transmission resistance of approximately 0.08 MNs/g which, according to the company, is “crucial to avoid interstitial condensation and to be able to dry fast any moisture build-up within a timber frame wall system”.
Easy installation
The benefits of FRAMEWRAP include a nail-tear resistance in excess of 100 N which allows for “greater ease of installation and protection against fissures”. The product, which has recently received certification from the British Board of Agrément, is also water resistant to BS 4016 1997, reduces wind infiltration, preserves R-values, conserves energy and cuts heating costs, says DuPont Tyvek.
The same firm also showcased its Tyvek REFLEX reflective insulating breather membrane which is made using ‘flash-spun’ polyethylene technology to control condensation, protect roofs and walls from external climate conditions, and improve thermal performance of any wall or roof insulated at rafter line or at ceiling level. Independent test results from recent research conducted by the Building Research Establishment demonstrated that this system “enhances the thermal resistance of the existing timber frame wall cavity very considerably and reduces heat loss across the entire wall section by up to 14%, compared to the same system using another breather membrane”.
According to DuPont Tyvek, the system reduces the U-value of the wall system “without the need for additional insulation, increased timber studs thickness or any other additional measure”.
Log homes
Two log home companies exhibited at Scotbuild: Kuhns Bros of Pennsylvania and Canadian Log Homes UK of Cornwall. According to the latter, the show provided an opportunity to extend its search for a dealer in Scotland for its range of log homes, which are constructed mainly of red or white cedar, and also pine.
