Greyling Hills sawmill switches to engineered timber for apartment blocks

A family sawmill in the Greyling Hills has begun producing engineered timber panels strong enough to build apartment blocks, in a move it says will open up a new market for wood from the region's forests. Hartshorn Timber has installed a hydraulic press at its yard near Tarnmere that bonds layers of spruce boards, laid crosswise, into panels up to 12 metres long.

The firm has traditionally cut fencing, pallets and roof joists. Director Alun Pascoe, the fourth generation of his family to run the mill, said those markets were shrinking and prices were volatile. "Timber that goes into a fence post earns very little. The same log, turned into a wall panel for a building, is worth several times as much," he said.

Its first order is for a six-storey block of 48 flats on a former depot in Northfield, being built by a housing association. The panels will form the floors and walls, while the ground floor and stair cores will be concrete. Builders say timber frames go up roughly a third faster than conventional ones and need fewer lorry deliveries.

Forests and fire safety

The mill sources most of its logs from managed forests within 50 kilometres. Forester Annelise Kerr, who advises several estates in the hills, said the new demand could encourage owners to replant felled areas more quickly. "A reliable local buyer for good-quality spruce changes the sums for small woodland owners," she said.

Every cubic metre we put into a building is carbon that stays locked up for the life of that building.

The housing association says the design has been checked by independent fire engineers and includes sprinklers and fire-resistant boarding on all exposed timber, in line with building regulations. Hartshorn has hired 14 extra staff to run the press and expects to supply two or three similar projects a year once production settles.