FAQ's

Q: What are your opening times?

A: Our opening times are as follows:

• Monday to Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
• Saturday: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Sunday: Closed
• Bank Holidays: Closed

Q: What is Click and Collect, and how does it work?

A: Click and Collect is a convenient service that allows you to shop online and pick up your order at a local store. Here’s how it works:

1. Browse and Shop: Visit our website and select the items you want to purchase.
2. Choose Click and Collect: At checkout, select the “Click and Collect” option and choose your preferred store location.
3. Receive Confirmation: After placing your order, you’ll receive an email or text notification when your order is ready for pickup.
4. Pick Up Your Order: Visit the selected store during the designated pickup hours. Make sure to bring your order confirmation and a valid ID.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact our customer service team.

Q: Why is your delivery service limited to a restricted radius?

A: Our delivery service is designed to ensure that we can provide the best possible service to our customers. We have set a delivery radius to maintain high standards of efficiency, timeliness, and quality. By focusing on a specific area, we can ensure:

1. Faster Delivery Times: Deliveries within a restricted radius allow us to get your order to you quickly and reliably.
2. Quality Control: We can maintain the quality of our products and services by limiting the distance our delivery staff must travel.
3. Sustainable Operations: A smaller delivery area helps us reduce our carbon footprint and operational costs.

If you’re outside our delivery radius, you might still be able to use our Click and Collect service or visit us in-store. For more details on delivery options or to check if we can accommodate your area, please contact our customer service team.

Q: Will the prices I am sent be fixed prices?

A: We honour price quotes for 30 days.

Q: How do I get a quote?

A: For Trade price quotes please email us your enquiry to – sales@msstimber.co.uk

Q. Do you offer a Trade Discount?

A:Trade discounts are available for volume orders or repeat business, please contact our customer service team

Q. Do the online prices include VAT?

A. All online prices are including vat.

Q. Do you offer a timber cutting service?

A: Yes, we are equipped to cut sheet materials to size at your request. For Timber cutting enquiries please contact customer services.

Q. Do you sell sustainable building materials?

A: Yes, we have a fundamental commitment to ensuring that all timber based products traded through our business are responsibly sourced.

Q: What does Strength Grading in Timber Mean?

A: Strength grading can only be conducted by sawmills with the correct equipment & certification. Strength grading can also be conducted by a trained and certified visual strength grader. Timber Strength Grading is used to identify wood intended for structural use. This must be strength graded to provide a prediction of its structural integrity and to ensure that it is strong enough for the highest expected load as a minimum. Timber is graded in the UK in accordance with BS EN 14081.

Types of Strength Grading Classification:

• C16 Timber marked as C16 is in reference strength grade of the wood. A C16 grade in timber can be achieved by machine at the mill or by using a visual grader to select timber that is of a standard fit for the grade. C16 graded timber is of a structural standard and is often required within construction for uses such as in general building works, for roofs or as a floor joist(s) but it is also used by some contractors for landscaping or outdoor projects if it has also been pressure treated to help withstand the elements.
• C24 Timber that has been graded to C24 is similar in terms of the process used as above for C16 strength graded timber, however, C24 has been tested and stamped to a higher degree of load and stress capability. C24 graded timber is often designated for use within construction drawings in areas like roofs where a wider span is required and the timber used will need additional strength. In terms of stipulated requirement C24 only becomes a designated need over C16 graded timber if the application stipulates that this is required for strength & structural reasons, and if you just need good quality timber both are as good as each other in terms of a piece of regularised timber to complete your job unless C24 has been specified because of strength or structural reason.

Q: What is Regularised Timber?

A: A length of timber that has been regularised has been machined to ensure that its dimensions are consistent. As we know timber is a natural product and as such is not absolutely perfect in size and shape, so it becomes commonplace for timber used in construction (where a consistent size and shape is needed to build structures that are dimensionally even or square) to be lightly machined to give a consistent size, and that is what regularised means when we talk in timber terms. It does not mean that the wood has been planed or finished it simply means that regularised timber has a consistent size.

Q: What is Planed / PSE or PAR Timber?

A: Planed timber is a piece of wood that has been running through a planing machine to produce a smooth finished surface. The terms 'PAR' is an abbreviation and stands for 'Planed All Round' so when you are purchasing a length of PAR from Harlow this means all 4 sides of the timber have a planed finish. PSE is an abbreviation of Planed Square Edge and this term means that all 4 sides of the timber have been planed too and by doing so all of the 4 edges of the piece of wood are square due to the planing process. Planed timber is commonly used by joiners, carpenters and woodworkers for projects when the timber is going to be decorative or on show in the finished project and as such a high-quality finish of the wood are required for potential stain, prime, paint or varnish.

Q: What is Sawn Timber?

A: Sawn timber can often be the same wood as used for the above applications however with sawn it has not to be machined to be regularised, or graded or planed it has merely been sawn from the source log into a size and left like that for sale. Sawn timber will have a rougher surface than timbers we spoke about above, and in turn, is fantastic for applications such as fencing or were a cost-effective timber is required where a high-quality surface finish is not needed. Sawn timber can still be treated or even worked on by the joiner or woodworker themselves to a finish.

Q: What is Kiln Dried Timber?

A: When timber has moisture within it, as that moisture dries out the timber can change in structural make-up as it dries. This can cause bowing, cupping or warp to the piece of wood so when timber is graded for structural use it is largely kiln dried by the sawmill before grading. The reason for this is because the moisture content within the timber for part of the grading process, and the reason this is important is that moisture within the timber as it dries out can cause movement within the section of wood that could compromise the structural integrity of the piece.

Q: What is Eased Edge Timber?

A: A section or piece of timber that has eased edges means that the edges rather than being sharp or square have been rounded. This is commonly seen on graded or structural timber and is done to make handling of the wood easier and safer in terms of sharpness or splinters that might be incurred from a sharper corner. Eased edge timber is also a good choice for gardening projects where the rounded corners will give a more attractive look or anywhere that the timber might be often touched or handled to help avoid injury. When timber is regularised it is quite often also eased edged at the same time as part of the light machining process.

Q: What does Primed mean when we speak of Primer Timber or MDF?

A: It is a common misconception within the market that when a primed piece of timber or MDF moulding is purchased that it is finished and no more work need to be done to the section. Primed products have usually been put through a machine that most commonly primes the material with a white finish. This means that when you are purchasing the product the job of preparing the timber or MDF for finish coat has been done for you, but for the product to have a finished coat paint will need to be applied to complete the desired look and to protect and prolong life. Primed MDF Skirting board or Architrave has grown greatly in popularity within the construction industry in recent times because of cost and ease of installation, however, timber still has its equal place in the market and offers the opportunity of an exposed natural timber finish that MDF alternatives cannot achieve.

Q: Can you Explain Some Commonly Used Timber Jargon for me, please?

A: Yes by all means. We are acutely aware that timber jargon can be confusing at times so here is a brief guide to some of the most commonly used terminology:

• Batten or Lath: A small square or rectangular section or strip of timber used in roofing projects to secure membrane and fix roof tiles. Although used commonly in roofing, batten or roof lath is a superb option for gardening or landscaping projects too, and as it mostly comes in treated form is ready for the elements.
• CLS: This abbreviation is short for Canadian Lumber Standard and the industry has adopted this phrase for a type of timber that is used mostly in stud work or wall frames during construction. Great for framing also 'CLS' most commonly comes in 3x2" (75x50mm) or 4x2" (100x50mm) but due to the machining processes involved the actual finish sizes are 38x63mm and 38x89mm respectively. Canadian Lumber Standard is most commonly sold in 2.4m, 3.0m & 4.8m lengths and has become a stalwart of timber construction even though in more recent times, not all CLS originates from Canada.
• Carcassing: A timber that is often strength graded, regularised & eased edge in nature and as such used often in construction projects of all types. Despite this, carcassing is a great option for a wide range of projects from landscaping and gardens to small internal jobs and is used by both trade and retail customers at Harlow for a multitude of applications. You can purchase carcassing from us in both untreated & pressure treated states.
• Joinery: An industry term used to describe a selection of timber products that are used internally for applications such as door frames, stairs, windows, or decorative moulded wood such as a skirting board or architrave. More ornate mouldings and beads for decorative projects would also fall within this category. We also refer to some timber as being 'Joinery Grade' which means that despite being in its raw sawn state the wood is suitable for a joinery shop or joiner to use in their project.
• OSB: The abbreviation 'OSB' is short for 'Oriented Strand Board' and is a sheet of strips and slices of wood in all different shapes and sizes that have had a resin mixed with them and a board has been created using heat and pressure to press the pieces with the resin into a shape. At Harlow, we keep 'OSB3' which is a structurally strong board that is popular for construction use. OSB3 is a great option where you require structural integrity but the material is not on the show, and of course, in recent times oriented strand board has become a fashionable look when a cafe or restaurant requires that 'industrial' style.
• MDF: Another timber trade abbreviation that is short for 'Medium Density Fibreboard'. MDF has become integrated within both construction & joinery projects because of its cost, versatility & multitude of applications. MDF is created by taking tiny timber fibres and mixing them with resins & glues in a heat pressed environment to create a smooth board that is imperfection free and can be lightly sanded and painted to create an almost perfect finish. At Harlow, we sell medium-density fibreboard in a multitude of thicknesses and sizes, and in addition, moisture-resistant MDF can be purchased from us that has been chemically treated to make the product more resistant to moisture.
• Hardwood: Hardwoods are a selection of species of timber that are categorised as such because of their make-up and density. Sometimes described as being timbers from broad-leaved rather than conifer trees examples of hardwood species are: Oak, Sapele, Walnut, Ash, Beech, Mahogany, Maple, Tulip or Birch. Hardwoods come in a wide variety of colours, look and feel and are more expensive than softwood timbers used in construction carcassing or some joinery products. Hardwood is most commonly used in more decorative internal jobs and hardwood is often sold in its rough-sawn original shape for a joiner or carpenter to then create the desired item or finish from. At Harlow, we sell hardwood in its raw state but will also take source hardwood material and plane, rebate or mould the timber to your desired shape or finish.
• Particle Board: Another industry phrase that is commonly also known as chipboard. Made of small chips of timber that have been mixed with resin & glue and then heat pressed to form a consistent and flat board. Particle or chipboard has been a hit for decades in the furniture-making industry for its versatility and cost and can be laminated to create contiboard or melamine faced chipboard (MFC for short). If you are working internally chipboard can become a great product for a multitude of uses and is also a popular product in packaging or in scenarios where a temporary structure is required.
• Plywood: A sheet material that is made up of multiple layers of long & flat timber that are pressed with glue or resin to produce a flat and strong board for a multitude of uses. The glue used with the process can designate the type of plywood created and this becomes relevant with products such as Marine Plywood where the type of glue used designates that the finished product is suitable for use in moist conditions. Plywood also varies in type by the timber used to make up the board. Examples of this could be hardwood play where the top face of the board is one consistent thin sheet of hardwood or in spruce or softwood plywood where the board has a structural element but the face is made from softwood and has imperfections in its top board. Plywood top faces can also be graded for their quality and this becomes relevant when the sheet is being used in furniture making or more decorative work.

If you have any more questions- please feel free to contact our friendly team: 

Phone- 0121 348 7695

Email- sales@msstimber.co.uk