TIMBER’S POPULARITY SOARS

After a fraught and surreal 2020 it appears that the UK is back in love with wood.

As we seek to enhance our own personal and private spaces, timber is fast becoming the preferred material of choice according to Janet Sycamore, Director of the Timber Decking & Cladding Association.

Janet explained: “In the late 1990’s a quiet revolution took place in the back gardens of Britain – we discovered timber decking. Spurred on by celebrity gardeners and major retailers like B&Q helping to drive new trends, demand for timber decking went from zero to a multi-million-pound industry in just a few short years. In the ‘noughties’ timber decking became the ubiquitous symbol of outdoor living at its best.

“As in all growth markets, new products, materials and accessories emerged almost continuously. The market became more sophisticated and segmented by quality, price and performance. From simple low-level decks in the garden to a high-level public access boardwalks and decking structures on hotels and restaurants, the timber deck had arrived as a lifestyle accessory in the UK.

“Fast forward to 2020 and such predictions that the trend for timber would wane are now far from reality. Many of our members have been working round the clock to meet demand and some retailers have been selling out within hours of a delivery arriving. Demand has been consistently strong over the years but, if 2020 is anything to go by, then timber decking and cladding is definitely here to stay.

“So why now? Without question, demand in the first half of the year benefited from the great spring weather and the decision to build a deck or add cladding as a lockdown project. However, the pressure to supply decking, cladding and associated landscaping materials has been maintained at a high level well into autumn. In a typical year demand for decking starts to tail off after August and manufacturers use autumn to build stock for the following year. Our members tell us that this has not happened this year and that they have been kept very busy right into November,” added Janet.

www.tdca.org.uk