US timber a cut above Asian wood, Americans say

zoom

Timothy Hromatka of US-based G-Lumber.

The Middle East’s construction industry should be wary of timber from countries without quality and standard regulations according to Eddie Pearce, the director of timber association American Softwoods.

Pearce said the bulk of timber used in the Middle East's construction industry comes from South East Asia and has not been graded or tested against any set of standards.

"This means you could get timber that is not properly kiln dried and could crack and fail, timber that is not of the proper structural strength required for the build, timber that is not properly pressure treated and could be subject to insect attack and rotting - these type of things," said Pearce.

In comparison, Pearce said all timber from the US has to satisfy the Lumber Standards of America which tell the contractor exactly what type of timber they are getting.

"We provide documentation for all our timber with the engineering specifications and load tables to ensure the timber will take a certain weight in a certain environment," he said.

"On top of that, the contractor can just look at the grade stamp on every piece which shows its strength, whether it has been kiln dried or air dried, who graded it and which mill it has come from.

"This also gives every piece of timber traceability, which is very important."

Timothy Hromatka, from US-based timber firm G-Lumber, said American timber is also guaranteed to be from a sustainable source unlike other countries.

"Much of the lumber in this region comes from South East Asia and is from tropical forests which are not being managed in a sustainable manner," he said.

"Other soft woods are coming from Russia and which also is not being managed properly."

People buy this timber on purely a cost basis, if you buy our American timber you will pay a premium, but you know what you're getting and you know it's sustainable."

Print | Email | Discuss this article

| Share |

READERS' COMMENTS

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic. Arabian Business would like to point out that only comments relevant to the story will be published. Any containing personal insults or inappropriate language will not be approved.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Enter the words above *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM