Timber guide & FAQs

Plain-English answers to the questions we get every day. Can’t find yours? Give us a call — it’s often the quickest way to get the answer you need.

  • The F-rating indicates the timber’s stress grade, while FOHC (Free of Heart Centre) refers to how the timber is sawn and the presence of the heart centre. F7 is our standard grade; F8 FOHC is a higher-grade option we commonly recommend for external or exposed applications; and F11 FOHC is the highest grade we stock with smaller and fewer knots.

  • The heart centre is the very middle of the tree — the least stable part. FOHC timber excludes it, so movement like splitting or twist as the timber dries is minimal. For any external or exposed application: yes, use FOHC.

  • Yes — above ground, with H3 treatment. Our clear H3 Azole treatment covers borers, termites and decay with a 25-year guarantee. Because it's water-based, you still need to maintain an oil-based coating on all faces, keep posts in stirrups clear of the ground, and seal cut ends during construction.

  • Cut-to-size runs in lengths up to 9.6m, in sections up to 400 × 200mm (wider occasionally available). Kiln Dried Clear runs up to 300mm wide in Ex 25mm / Ex 50mm thickness.

  • Most of our stock is green (unseasoned), which is normal for large-section Oregon — some shrinkage occurs as it dries, and choosing the right grade keeps any movement within limits. We recommend painting or oiling the timber as soon as possible to slow the drying process and reduce movement and checking. We also hold Kiln Dried No.2 Clear (dried to 15%) for joinery, flooring and boat building. The No. 2 Clear is our highest grade - there may still be some knots present but they will be small and tight.

  • Yes. We stock kiln-dried Oregon (Douglas Fir) in a range of standard sizes in 50mm thickness and can cut it to your required width and dimensions.

    Our Kiln Dried No. 2 Clear is our highest-quality Canadian timber product with excellent dimensional stability, making it well suited to boat building, furniture, flooring, lining boards and other internal applications. Kiln drying reduces the timber’s moisture content, helping to minimise shrinkage, movement and checking in service.

    If you’re unsure whether kiln-dried or green Oregon is better suited to your application, talk to us and we can recommend the best option.

  • We deliver Australia-wide from Dandenong South, VIC — typically overnight to Sydney metro, 2–3 days for most other areas, and around 10–14 working days when treatment is included. We confirm the date when you order.

  • Absolutely — that's most first calls. Tell us what you're building, whether it's indoors or out, and rough dimensions or spans. We'll work out the right spec with you.

  • Very likely — we have access to an extensive cutter library and we regularly replicate heritage profiles. Send a photo or an offcut and we'll confirm.