The results show that regulatory issues and the permitting of timber treatment operations under the EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) is no longer seen as a top concern. The survey indicates that most treaters have either dealt with compliance with IED for the time being or are in the process of dealing with it.
Those respondents who ranked treated wood quality control as their main concern (the majority) were then asked to specify which end use applications (use classes) they thought posed the main challenge and why.
Perhaps not surprisingly, UC4 (ground contact) & UC3u (external uncoated) applications for wood came top of everyone’s list. For ground contact products such as fence posts, end user scepticism about service life performance still must be overcome.
Significant concern was expressed about the possibility of wood treated for a low risk application finding its way into inappropriate, higher hazard end use applications.
Commenting on this finding, Mr Ewbank said: “Some respondents identified this as a major issue and were concerned that the reputation of treated wood was being called into question by the supply of wood treated for an internal application (e.g. Use class 2) being sold for external applications like use class 3u.
“This appears to occur mainly where imported wood treated with copper based preservatives is supplied into a national merchant chain against a UC2 internal carcassing specification but at a local branch level some of this material is incorrectly supplied for external applications.
“The assumption seems to be that if its ‘green treated’ it can be used anywhere, indoors or outdoors and the consequences of premature failure are a real concern,” said Mr Ewbank.
Both the WPA and TTF believe that if such practice continues unchecked then the industry will have shot itself in the foot and treated wood will lose out to alternative materials.
“This is why the TTF and WPA are united in using our respective strengths and resources to influence and stimulate demand for quality added value treated wood products,” said Mr Hopkins.
Action Plan
The task now is to develop an action plan to respond to the needs of the treatment and supply industry, says Mr Young.
The WPA has a good track record in tackling issues relating to the performance of treated wood.
It introduced the WPA Benchmark third-party quality scheme in 2011 and a preservative retention approval scheme in 2013.
This was followed by the biggest ever field trial of home-grown treated softwood fence posts in 2015.
He confirmed that the survey indicated some concern about the many discrete company performance warranties that characterised the market for ground contact timber in the UK.
He said that as a consequence WPA is now looking at providing treaters who produce treated wood under the WPA Benchmark QA scheme with the added benefit of ‘performance assurance’ – a de facto national warranty.
Both the WPA and TTF say they are committed to further close collaboration and consultation with their members and other wood industry bodies on the measures to help the supply chain build confidence in treated wood and grow demand.
