There’s a sequencing problem in the construction and joinery industries. The design phase of a construction project receives the most attention. The timber that is to be used to execute that design is specified later on by people who are often unrelated to the design phase of the project.
Also, the budget for the project is often established prior to specifying the timber that is to be used in the project. These factors result in a design that is created with one type of timber in mind but is constructed with another type of timber.
Timber isn’t a commodity. Two pieces of the same species, same grade, that are to be used in the same way can behave very differently in that application. The moisture content of the timber at the point of use can have an effect on how well it performs in that application. Also, the structure of the grain of the timber can have an effect on how well it performs in that application.
Also, the presence or absence of characteristics such as knots, resin pockets, and interlocked grain can have an effect on how well the timber performs. For Timber Merchants Portsmouth, consider https://www.timbco.co.uk
Getting the specification of the timber right before the design is finalised, rather than after the design has been created, changes what is possible with the design. A joiner who specifies the timber that they need for the job will produce work that performs as intended. A joiner who only works with the timber that is available within the budget will only be able to produce work that performs as that timber allows for.
The importance of timber specification is most clear in the applications of timber where it is used for structural purposes. A beam that is to carry a certain load, a window component that is to remain stable in moisture and temperature fluctuations, and a floor that is to wear consistently over the decades of daily use are all examples of applications that require the specification of timber.
The design of the structure tells you what the timber needs to do. The specification determines whether it can actually do it.
The most important decision is that of specification, but it is the decision that is given the least amount of consideration in most projects. The consequences of that sequencing show up eventually.
