April 12, 2017

Vastern Timber to promote Brimstone at Materials 2017

Vastern Timber, the Wiltshire based sawmill and timber company, will be exhibiting at Materials 2017 – the new conference and exhibition taking place at the ILEC Centre, Earls Court, which focusses entirely on material solutions for architecture, construction, and design.

Offering a unique opportunity for architects, specifiers, engineers and developers to meet face-to-face, engage in social conversation, and expand relationships with top materials manufacturers and industry leaders, Materials 2017 will provide an ideal opportunity for Vastern Timber to promote the benefits and importance of specifying the company’s award-winning Brimstone wood products.

“We continue to promote the advantages of thermally modified timber and the wider benefits of using British grown wood” explained Tom Barnes of Vastern Timber. “But we need to ensure that architects and designers are getting that message as they are key influencers across the entire construction marketplace.

“Materials 2017 will be the perfect forum for us to meet the architects sector face-to-face and to promote the benefits of Brimstone, which is the first commercially available thermally modified timber sourced from domestic woodlands and forests.”

Launched in 2016, Brimstone originated as a collaborative project between Grown In Britain, BRE, Timber Strategies, Vastern Timber and other commercial partners. The Brimstone range is ideal for cladding, decking, external joinery and furniture, and includes thermally modified British hardwoods including ash, poplar and sycamore.

Thermally modified timber is 60 – 80% more stable than non-modified timbers, meaning significantly less expansion and contraction when faced with changes in ambient temperature and humidity. This makes thermally modified timber a superior solution for a range of exterior uses.

“A key driver in the development of Brimstone has been the wider positive impact on the broadleaf woodlands of England and Wales,” continues Tom Barnes. “In the absence of any meaningful grants and poor demand for species other than oak, British woodland owners need to catch a break.

“Currently, over 90% of hardwoods used in UK are imported. At the same time, over 60% of native broadleaf woodlands are unmanaged or under managed, leading to poor quality and decaying woodlands.

“Brimstone provides an opportunity to help re-balance the scales by converting underused white hardwood species including ash, poplar and sycamore into products of the future, while stimulating demand and incentivising woodland management. This is the message we will be promoting at Materials 2017.”

Vastern Timber will be on stand 12 at Materials 2017, which takes place 25th and 26th April.

Click here for more information about Brimstone or visit the Brimstone website

Read about a Brimstone ash project in London