The UK mass production joinery sector’s first-quarter sales have been broadly on or just above target although most manufacturers have reported little scope for raising prices. At the same time, a number of producers reported an increase in project delays, generally thought to be the result of problems with planning.

Many companies reported reasonable order books for April and beyond, but were nonetheless concerned that the market had become rather static.

Opinions vary widely within the joinery and wider timber trade on the prospects for housebuilding within the UK. While deputy prime minister John Prescott has been relatively bullish about short- to medium-term plans, some companies are identifying a plateau in orders while others are more upbeat. Falling into the latter camp, Stewart Milne, chairman and chief executive of the Stewart Milne Group, told his local newspaper in late March that demand in Scotland for “quality new build housing” has been strong and appears sustainable, although he also acknowledged problems relating to “the lack of suitable available land and a turgid planning process”.

Factory-finished windows

In the window sector, one of the mass production joinery firms to have bucked the generally level sales trend claimed this week that ever-increasing interest in factory-finished softwood windows had pushed lead times out from six to nearer 16 weeks. Noting that his company had been forced to “turn business away”, he said the intention was to increase catalogue prices “across the board” in the summer although the firm envisaged problems in securing higher prices from regular customers.

He said there was a need for increased returns to filter through a supply chain hit by higher costs for distribution, fuel, insurance, rents/rates and raw materials. “The cost of glass has gone up two or three times in the last 12 months and there is now price pressure from timber suppliers,” he said, adding that some of these suppliers were increasingly unwilling to agree to long-term deals.

Another leading mass production joiner spoke of plans to introduce below inflation price increases “at some point this year” on doors and windows, while adding that “we will look to absorb a lot of the higher costs through production efficiencies”.

Overall, casements and windows with bars are proving particularly popular among a British public now intent on securing “something that little bit different”, while there has also been considerable interest in “fancier” glazing on entrance doors. Good demand has also been reported for more decorative touches on stairs.

Added-value doorsets

Meanwhile, there has been a continuing market shift towards added-value doorsets. External door prices are generally holding firm while those for interior doors are said to have levelled off after “re-basing themselves at a lower level” during 2002. Several contacts also identified a trend in favour of veneered doors “to match floors”.

Most contacts were unenthusiastic about the potential for increasing margins. “We are only covering higher timber costs in our prices,” said one. Wide whitewood for stairs seems to have been particularly affected by price increases. Several contacts pointed to some downward price pressure within the stairs market, although it was acknowledged that this situation varied from one part of the country to another.

In general, the joinery trade appears to have accepted timber price increases, possibly because of the consistency of the message surrounding difficulties in supply.

&#8220In many cases you still have to be the cheapest to get the job – it seems to be the only criterion these days”

High-value orders

The UK’s architectural joinery sector is also largely “ticking along”. Enquiry levels have been reasonably steady from both the private and public sectors, with the high-value apartment and leisure sectors singled out as busier than most. By contrast, office joinery work appears to be at a relatively low ebb in many parts of the country.

As in the mass production sector, there appears to be only narrow scope for quoting higher project prices because of strong competition. “In many cases, you still have to be the cheapest to get the job – it seems to be the only criterion these days,” lamented one joiner. There have also been numerous examples of project delays and deferrals – a fact several joiners attributed not only to planning difficulties but also to a growing lack of business confidence among customers. Joiners are worried that clients will defer projects until the summer when labour shortages are more acute.

Most architectural joiners are reporting no major problems with labour, although several operators are unimpressed by the general standard of trainees coming into the trade.

On the timber side, joiners noted continuing demand for maple and American black walnut. The enduring popularity of the latter among UK architects has created problems for the joinery trade since quality is said to suffer in line with increasing volume requirements. One contact also noted a reluctance among some customers to pay extra for certified timber.

Code of Conduct

Turning to recent news, March 1 brought the launch of the implementation phase of the British Woodworking Federation‘s Code of Conduct, which is intended to set out good practice for a quality woodworking business. According to a spokesperson, the BWF was “thrilled” at the positive response of members: after little over three weeks, more than 130 of the BWF’s 380 manufacturer members had returned self-assessment check lists designed to identify whether further work was needed to ensure compliance.

The BWF is helping companies achieve compliance by issuing guidance notes on, for example, formulating a written policy on training, employment contracts and complaints procedures. According to the spokesperson, the Code of Conduct initiative not only provided members with assistance in improving their businesses, but also increased their awareness of BWF services, their company’s credibility and their confidence in fellow BWF members. The aim is for all members to comply with the code by the end of this year.

The BWF’s approved fire door centre network has risen to 26, including the unveiling of its first centres in Northern Ireland. The scheme is designed to train builders merchant staff in the benefits of BWF Certifire approved products and will be the subject of a further marketing push in the second quarter of this year. At the same time, the scheme has raised concerns within the federation that some builders merchants are stocking fire door components that are incompatible with the fire doors held in stock. This issue would be addressed during the course of the year, TTJ was told.

Fact cards

In terms of new publications, the BWF will shortly issue a Timber Window Accreditation Scheme ‘fact card’ on sustainability. The first in what is expected to be a series of these cards covered the new Part L regulations introduced last year. A fire door ‘fact card’ on maintenance will shortly join the one already published on installation. The BWF also reports that, following a production delay, its home buyer guide to timber windows will now appear in show homes during the spring. The guide will outline to the public reasons why housebuilders choose timber windows.

For its part, BM TRADA is launching an advertising campaign in April for its Q Mark scheme. To run in the architecture trade press, the advertisements will push the benefits of dealing with companies which have gained third party approval of the standards to which they operate and the quality of their operations. “In an increasingly litigious world in which standards are always changing, it can be difficult for architects to fully cover themselves,” said a BM TRADA spokesperson.