Summary
• In 2007 Sweden produced 1.5 million m³ of treated softwood.
• There is a close link with consumers as treated timber is used in outdoor applications such as gazebos and decking.
• To reassure customers, Nordic producers offer a 20-year warranty on treated timber.
• The warranty has boosted sales of treated timber of lesser quality.
“Consumers are becoming more demanding and if they are disappointed by the performance of treated timber, they will choose concrete the next time.”
So says Mikael Westin, managing director of the Swedish Wood Preserving Association (SWPA), a key player in bringing together the treatment organisations in the Nordic countries under the banner of the Nordic Wood Preservation Council (NWPC).
It’s a situation of which he is acutely aware, particularly since Swedish volumes of treated timber and poles have increased substantially over the last few years.
“In 2007, we reached production levels of 1.5 million m³,” said Mr Westin. “Almost half of that quantity stays on our domestic market and accounts for about 10% of the total consumption of sawn softwood in Sweden.”
For Sweden, as for other Nordic countries, treated timber is consequently a significant segment – and one that is close to the consumer with outdoor applications such as decking, cladding, gazebos, pathways and jetties.
Link to end users
The close link to end users is an important fact. “Consumer preferences may change very quickly to other materials if our products do not meet expectations,” Mr Westin told TTJ. “We consequently need to supply quality products in order to compete successfully and keep our timber market growing.”
This desire to keep treated timber firmly in consumers’ minds has resulted in the introduction of a 20-year warranty on sales of treated timber to consumers. The producer must replace the treated timber if it rots during the warranty period. The warranty is ultimately guaranteed by the SWPA and applies to the NWPC grades A and AB treated with copper-based preservatives.
The Nordic wood protection associations are joined together within the NWPC – or NTR in ‘Scandinavian’. NWPC’s activities focus on testing and evaluating wood preservatives for industrial use, on quality standards for preservative treated wood and on the third-party control of the Nordic production facilities.
The NWPC trade standard – NWPC Docs. No. 1, 2 and 3:1998 – defines the well-known Nordic treatment classes, A, AB, B and M within the framework of relevant European norms. The NWPC classes A, AB and M are for ground and water contact, outdoor and marine use respectively. According to NWPC rules, full sapwood penetration and retention levels give the pine building products a service life of more than 20 years. Somewhat lower levels of penetration and retention in NWPC class B give joinery products above ground and in painted situations a similar expected service life.
Use classes
The corresponding use classes of the European Standards are 5 for NTR M, 4 for NTR A and 3 for NTR AB with full sapwood penetration. Mr Westin said the important differences between the Nordic and European use classes are that the NWPC system puts an obligation on the producer to follow the technical requirements, especially concerning penetration and retention, established by the NWPC Technical Committee and that the industry and products are under third-party control.
“The internal quality control demanded by the NWPC rules is consequently supervised by a third party – in Sweden by the SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden,” said Mr Westin. “They perform two unannounced visits per year per facility. They check on equipment, operating instructions, journals, markings and take samples of the preservatives and of the treated timber.
“If the treatment plant does not perform according to the rules, or if the treated timber does not fulfil the penetration and retention requirements, the Institute will withdraw the licence. This gives an assurance that the NWPC treated timber – always marked with the logo ‘NTR’ and the class – which reaches the market, has the expected quality and will have a long service life.”
Warranty welcomed
The 20-year warranty has been welcomed by wholesalers and builders merchants, said Mr Westin. “It gives credibility to the product – and a lot more than a 20% discount. It has also influenced the imports and sales of treated timber of lesser quality. People choose NWPC-treated timber because it is known to be produced within standards and under third-party control,” he said.
The SWPA uses the warranty as the main feature in its market communication. “We have advertising, builders merchants’ shop materials and web-based information, all focusing on the warranty,” said Mr Westin. “We probably need to do more in providing information and education for the staff at DIY shops and are therefore putting together a simple on-line learning programme that will be available to the trade in time for the coming season.”
“We would recommend other producers introduce similar systems,” said Mr Westin. And others are following suit. In Finland the industry and its association, Kestopuuteollisuus, aim to introduce a warranty in 2009.
“With clear rules on technical requirements and third-party control there are no risks of having underperforming products,” said Mr Westin. “We must market a product with a long service life. If we do, consumers will stick with timber – and not choose concrete!”
