There was perhaps no better way for BASF Wolman to begin its Gothenburg conference than by taking the coach-load of UK traders past the Balder roller coaster in the city’s Liseberg amusement park.

The vast structure, which provides 1,070m of stomach-churning excitement and has twice been voted the world’s best wooden roller coaster, is made from glulam treated to the Nordic NTR quality scheme.

The conference, attended by Wolman customers, other treaters and sawmillers, industry associations and academics, was an opportunity for a closer look at the Nordic Wood Preservation Council’s (NWPC) NTR scheme, at a time when there is increasing concern over premature fence post failures in the UK.

"Everyone is raising concerns and talking about what we need to do, and Wolman have a lot of experience in Scandinavia so it was a natural move to invite people to Sweden," said Richard Gulland, who is responsible for the company’s technical sales in the UK and Ireland.

The conference included visits to a sawmill, treatment company, timber frame house manufacturer and SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, which manages the NTR.

The NTR, an independently audited scheme covering Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden, was launched more than 20 years ago in response to problems caused largely by cheap, poor quality imports. Sweden has taken the scheme a step further by offering a 20-year guarantee on NTR-A and NTR-AB treated timber – the equivalent of Use Class 3 and 4.

"The only way we could compete [against imports] was on quality," said Mikael Westin, managing director of the Swedish Wood Preserving Association.

"Customers have a right to expect quality, and it’s also good for the environment as we’re not treating to no effect," he added.

Before being approved for the scheme, the wood preservatives undergo independent field trials by SP, which publishes the results and decides the dosing levels. Treaters must have their own quality control, which is audited twice a year by SP, and take weekly samples. Further samples are taken during SP’s audits. The treated timber is marked with the NTR label.

The NTR covers 90% of preservative-treated pine in the Nordic region. Last year a classification for spruce was introduced but pre-treatment, such as incising, is required and it is only for end uses above ground.

Those involved say the scheme has secured customer confidence in treated timber but there have been other benefits too.

"The technical status of Swedish treated timber has improved," said Jöran Jermer of SP. "We have more advanced wood treatment plants, industry knowledge has increased and quality thinking has improved."

NTR-accredited timber also has an edge in the market. "It’s possible to position NTR as a brand, and customers trust it. End users are willing to pay a higher price because they know what they’re getting," said Dr Ralf Schulz, managing director and CEO of Dr Wolman GmbH. "It provides differentiation and it’s an opportunity to add value to a commodity."

WPA Benchmark
In the UK, the Wood Protection Association (WPA) has established its Benchmark scheme to address quality issues. It provides third-party verification that a product meets British Standards and requires treaters to take samples and have their process third-party audited.

"We’ve set up a scheme that I’m confident delivers what the market ought to want in terms of quality treated timber – timber that carries the Benchmark label is treated in accordance with BS 4817 and will deliver the desired service life," said WPA chairman and technical consultant Dr Chris Coggins, who attended the BASF Wolman conference.

He pointed out that the UK did not have the luxury of treating only pine for ground contact and that it was impossible to treat spruce to even the 15-year service life category for ground contact without other measures such as incising.

The main difference between the two schemes, he said, was the amount of sampling, making the NTR a more expensive process. The Benchmark operates a "safe relationship" where an approved process for a particular species, size, end user and service life is used as a daily quality control check.

And while WPA members are funding promotion of Benchmark and some customers are now asking for Benchmark-approved products, Dr Coggins said the UK scheme was unlikely to reach the brand status of NTR, which has a six-figure marketing budget.

WJ Components’ Mark Egglestone, who also attended the conference, believes it is important that treaters sign up to Benchmark.

"If we’re going to demonstrate to the market that the chemicals will do the job and it’s how you apply them that’s important, then we have to demonstrate that, as treaters, we understand what we’re doing and that we’re operating to a quality control system that has third-party auditing of our processing," he said.

There was a financial incentive as well. "There may be some instances where the treater is overtreating some timber for its end user so they’re effectively throwing money away," said Mr Egglestone. "If they better understand what they’re doing they can maximise profitability while giving the consumer a product that’s fit for purpose."

Willie Clason, managing director of Burt Boulton & Haywood, believes that the Benchmark, like the NTR, is helping to restore confidence in treated timber.

"As a WPA member, producing Benchmark products in accordance with national standards, we are not only reaping the benefits but, most importantly, eliminating the possibility of future claims," said Mr Clason.

Some treaters already offer a guarantee that’s backed by them or their preservative supplier, and the WPA is looking at a guarantee for Benchmark but Mr Egglestone would like to see one introduced immediately.

"The chemical companies tell me what the dosing needs to be so I don’t see why the chemical companies, in conjunction with the WPA, don’t underwrite a 10-year warranty on timber that’s treated to BS 8417 and has the Benchmark badge. What we know now we should be confident enough to give customers a 10-year warranty. It would be an overnight win; it would give confidence to the market," he said.

He is in no doubt that the post-CCA generation of preservatives are effective but it is critical that treaters understand the products and the correct dosing strengths.

"A lot of problems in the market are caused by a lack of understanding by many people in the timber supply chain," he said.

Mr Gulland also supports an independent warranty. "Independently audited and warranted treated timber would give confidence back to the industry. The preservatives need to be independently assessed and field tested," he said, adding that the 20-year warranty had led to a "sustainable treated timber industry in Sweden".

Open retentions – publication of the results – would create a more transparent system which would also help the industry, he added.

James Jones & Son has offered its own 15-year warranty on its pine agricultural fencing for three years, and recently extended it to its incised spruce posts. However, Neil Snedden, general manager north, supports third-party auditing.

"You could liken it to the grading rules in the UK. Those of us who do C16 grading are audited by a third party," he said.

Market acceptance
But a recurring question at the conference was whether UK buyers would pay the higher price commanded by a quality, guaranteed product.

"It appears the NTR enables Scandinavian mills and treaters to get more money for a better quality product, while minimising inferior products in the market, but the UK traditionally has a reputation for being price driven," said David White, director at Charles Ransford & Son. "Will the end user pay for a UK version of it; that’s the bottom line."

Ideally, the timber industry should work together to rebuild confidence in treated timber. "The good news is that the large group of UK delegates on the Wolman trip proves this is now happening," said Mr White.

Whichever route the UK chose, the information presented to end users must be simple and unambiguous to enable them to make the right choice, he added.

Mr Egglestone believes that promotion would help. "We are price sensitive in the UK and people expect to pay cheap as chips and get Rolls Royce quality. We need to try to educate people," he said.

While it was consumers’ decision how they spent their money, Mr Snedden said UK companies should be treating for quality, not to price. "We should be driving on quality, not on cost, and offering a warranty is moving in the right direction," he said.

A warranty would not remove lower quality material from the market, but it would offer choice, said Mr Gulland.

"It gives more choice," he said. "It gives customers the option that when they go into a store they can say, those timbers are both green but that piece is cheap and I can’t expect any service life from it. This piece has a Benchmark logo and 15-year warranty so it will last and I’ll pay more for it."

And it would benefit timber, and the industry’s, reputation. "Treated timber is a sustainable product. It’s a good-looking product and it has a good story to tell, yet some people are producing poor quality and that doesn’t help the image of timber."