Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question but can’t find the answer here just contact us instead

Q. Why can’t you leave me a skip?
A. To provide skips, we would need a big site, lorries, skips, etc – all hugely expensive. We are a low-capital business. Our 3.5 tonne truck takes around 12yd3 – that’s equivalent to two six yard skips in one go. So from an environmental point of view our system is better.

Q. Can we bring our wood and timber waste to you?
A. No! We operate a collection only service and will not take any material brought to our premises by other means. If you feel you have a compelling reason why you should bring it to us please call and ask to speak to the Director first.

Q. Building sites are dangerous – we can’t have lots of people milling around
A. All staff are properly trained, carry CSCS cards, are used to operating on sites and wear all the right PPE.

Q. Do we have to take the nails out?
A. No. Nails, screws, door furniture, pallet fastenings etc. are all acceptable. Any wood we can’t use goes to chipping firms with facilities to remove the metal from the chips they produce.

Q. Do you take other stuff?
A. Yes, probably, if they can be reused. This could include roof tiles, insulation materials, ducting etc. Just contact the Director on 01223 870048 and discuss it with him. If we can save it going into a skip, then all well and good!

Q. What happens if it gets wet?
A. No problem. Wood (apart from OSB, MDF chipboard and internal grade plywood) is robust and dries out fine.

Q. Isn’t it all a bit too labour intensive?
A. Yes. We are committed to creating jobs for people keen to work, but it’s not labour intensive for the sake of it. By collecting the way we do, any longer lengths of timber or bigger pieces of sheet material that are reusable don’t get broken up, because you won’t have to crush it with a JCB to get it into a skip.

Q. Is it as good value as a skip?
A. Research shows that a high proportion of skips leave building sites with more air in them than stuff. If you are clearing soil, a skip is good value, but what about bulky stuff like lengths of wood and pallets? They’re just a nightmare to get in. We load our truck as tightly as possible, and at just £15+VAT per cubic yard you get the best value – every time.

Q. We put our waste wood in skips, and we’re told 75%+ of it is recycled – what’s wrong with that?
A.Most of the wood actually ends up in landfill – because it is crushed and mixed with other waste, making it difficult to extract any wood for recycling, and none of the wood can be reused to make affordable garden furniture, DIY projects etc.

Q. We haven’t got space on our building site to store wood separately, what with all the skips we need…
A.If you mix your wood waste (co-mingle) with everything else then no wonder you need a lot of skips. If you separated your waste, you’ll quickly find at least half of it is wood waste, which if you don’t try to crush it up, can be moved and stored a lot easier than lots of skips – and you will free up valuable space on your site too

Q. We can’t store the wood in a separate pile on our building site, our Health and Safety people say it’s a fire risk…
A.Wood is combustable, not flammable – it’s no more dangerous than anything else on your site – such as timber framed buildings. As long as you don’t store wood waste next to flammable materials, like fuel tanks, it’s fine to keep it on site. If it looks like it’s getting too much, just ask us to come and clear it – we will be happy to do so, even if it’s not a full load.

Q. Can you collect at short notice?
A. We pledge a 48 hour notice period. However we want your business, so will bend over backwards to give you the highest level of service possible. Same day collections are often possible.

Q. What if I am not sure what you will take?
A. Don’t worry. If you don’t know, just put it in the pile and we will sort it out when we collect.

Q. Can you help me sell the idea to staff and colleagues?
A.Yes, we can give you handouts to give to staff explaining the service – just give us a call.

Q. What if I’m not happy with the service?
A. In the first instance contact the Director who will endeavour to resolve any issues. We want your business, so we will work hard to make you happy.

Q. What are your opening times?
Our Wood Store seasonal opening hours are Tuesday – Friday 10am – 1pm – sometimes we are open later BUT please do call us first on 01223 870048 to double check we are open – we are often short-handed and sometimes have to go out on collections at short notice.  If you let us know when you want to come we will know when to expect you.

Q. Do you have a full stock and price list?
We carry a constantly changing stock of reclaimed timber and wood products. Sample prices for DIY recleimed timber can be found here.
You can email us with your queries for timber and / or products here