Growing demand for timber products

Timber door and window frames are making a surging comeback as more architects and designers specify wood for new-builds and refurbishment projects.

Wood business grows as plastic begins to wilt.

"We are in a demand-driven world, and while people are becoming more and more conscious of our declining levels of natural resources, our understanding is that using timber to create door and window frames does less damage to the environment than the consequences of emissions from the plastic manufacturing process," said Phil Martindale, founder and Managing Director of Martindales, the UK's leading supplier of replacement doors and window frames to the insurance industry.

"This growing demand for timber products is down to a combination of circumstances: architects don't like PVC frames, wood is becoming more available - and there is a growing body of feeling that using wood is far more environmentally friendly than manufacturing plastic.

"We have carefully researched this issue with suppliers, and our belief is that growth of forests around the world for the purposes of sustainable timber products is actually catching up and overtaking demand for wood," added Phil.

"We used to say 'save a tree, fit uPVC', but there is definitely more timber available.

There are also so many processes in the production of uPVC window frames from synthetic and non-natural materials that emissions are inevitably going to be pretty steep.

Martindales may be the UK's leading independent supplier of uPVC windows and doors to the insurance industry - but it is continuing to recruit woodworking craftsman to cope with demand for repair and replacement wood.

"It says a lot about us, but also a great deal about the country's enthusiasm for the history and heritage of our buildings, that we are flat out taking our time repairing and replacing some stunning doors and windows to their original standard, as well as providing high quality timber products for fitment from new," said Phil Martindale.

"We are experiencing huge demand for new-build and refurbishments for which architects have specified wood.

"That many businesses in our sector are losing the craftsmen able to repair or create these wooden doors and window frames is a bonus for us in two ways - we're picking up highly-skilled craftsmen, and we're picking up highly-specialist wood repair and replacement work.

"It means that not only are we maintaining departments and divisions able to manufacture and provide uPVC, aluminium, glass and timber replacement doors and windows - we now believe we are the only business in our industry that can".

Current projects include boxed sash windows, complex patterned or moulded doors and windows, including those with stained glass inlays and leaded frames.

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