B & Q

[Jezmaster]

how decent is B & Q's wood to use for sliding sashes, looked at it seems quite straight, would have to plan timber down to my sizes needed.

anyone had dealings with thier wood?

some of it was very knotty but im sure some is decent stuff?


jez

 

[Dodge]

If you are looking to use pine I would personally recommend you find a reputable local timber merchant to you and buy Red Pine, not the white spruce that B&Q sell. It will probably cost you about the same but will be far better quality and last significantly longer.

HTH

Rog

 

[Jezmaster]

but if painted well and looked after would there timber be good engough to use, after all timber does require matience year, etc

 

[RogerS]

Seems to me that you only want to hear the answers that you are looking for.

Dodge has years and years of experience ..so why dismiss it?

 

[theartfulbodger]

Confucius say advice is what you ask for when you already know the answer but don't like it.

 

[Harbo]

Generally poor quality, full of knots and will warp badly.
Only buy as a last resort!

Rod

 

[Chippyjoe]

Wouldn't even buy it as a last resort for a job like that. As already said,get some decent redwood from a proper timber supplier and do the job once and properly.
Leave the "bannana" wood for the "have a go Joe's" :mrgreen:

 

[Jezmaster]

timber merchants it is then.

thanks for advice people

 

[jimi43]

B&Q is to timber what Ann Widdecombe is to modelling.

:mrgreen:

Jim

 

[mailee]

Aw cummon guys, it is good for making propellers.......and that's all. :lol:

 

[PMK54]

Our local B&Q employs some really nice and helpful people, and their returns policy (as long as you keep the receipt) is pretty painless; I'm sorry I can't think of much more that's good to say about them apart from the fact that when working away from home and in dire need of a tool that wasn't in my tool box, they've been open and have therefore saved my bacon more than once.

 

[tomatwark]

Redwood (Red Pine as Rog calls it) is the way to go.

But make sure you buy Unsorted as this is the better quality stuff.

A lot of the builders merchants only sell 5 ths which is not as good.

Tom

 

[fuster]

Our local B&Q employs some really nice and helpful people, and their returns policy (as long as you keep the receipt) is pretty painless; I'm sorry I can't think of much more that's good to say about them apart from the fact that when working away from home and in dire need of a tool that wasn't in my tool box, they've been open and have therefore saved my bacon more than once.

Agree completely with the above, but would like to add that mostly they stock just about the lowest quality they can find at astronomical prices. Or if not it'll be the overpriced name brands (like evostick pva at several hundred pounds a litre or silicone sealant marketed and priced as if it were imported from outer space).
Occasionally the tradepoint card shows up a more realistic price but often not and you don't know till you get to the tills.
I hardly ever go in there these days and usually end up walking out in frustration when I do.

 

[shipbadger]

I actually belong to B&Qs customer panel which sends out questionnaires at intervals. I was amused by the comment that people ask questions to obtain the answer they want to hear as increasingly I find this firm doing the same thing. As someone who used to teach questionnaire writing (not an easy skill to acquire) I have more than once pointed out the loaded questions they ask. We have the largest B&Q this side of Shanghai as my nearest store and I rarely visit even though I have an old codgers Diamond Discount card.

Tony Comber

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

another +1 on do not use B&Q's timber for this or anything alike. I have seen better pallet wood

Redwood, Red Pine, Scandinavian Pine What ever you wish to call it is what you need as said. See if you have a local Travis Perkins, They sell unsorted but its always best to go look and pick it yourself.

 

[tomatwark]

another +1 on do not use B&Q's timber for this or anything alike. I have seen better pallet wood

Redwood, Red Pine, Scandinavian Pine What ever you wish to call it is what you need as said. See if you have a local Travis Perkins, They sell unsorted but its always best to go look and pick it yourself.

Not in our branch of TP

They sell 5 ths which is always twisted and only fit for going on the woodburner.

It depends on the branch if they even know what timber is , ours did not know what dowelling was, I had to show the guy.

They had it in stock.



Tom

 

[Hudson Carpentry]

My local TP is a timber mill and don't do much else. They have delivered some terrible timber before but after a good telling off they replaced, if im having it delivered I always now state what its for and that I need straight stuff but go and get it myself when I can so I can pick it.

I know what your saying TP have differenct branches that deal mainly in a curtain area of a trade so them that sell bathrooms for example but stock a bit of timber are naturally going to be "bathroom trained" and know little of timber.

 

[adzeman]

The only time I buy wood from B & Q is on a Sunday and I have run out of stock on a current project but nly in small quantities say 3 or 4 foot of 2 x 1. Its more expensive, its smaller in section and comes with finger joints in its length and the timber is rubbish its brittle no life in it and it splinters. Why would you as a serious woodworker use a DIY store as a supplier?

 

[AndyT]

Widening the discussion a bit, has anyone used Wickes lately?

I've not needed to use them for a long time, (not since they changed hands) but they are owned by Travis Perkins (who also own Toolstation btw) so ought to have a chance of stocking and selling decent timber. Is it worth the journey?

 

[munkypuzel]

Also, to anyone that sees that the wood in B&Q is straight, - It is very straight while packaged in plastic with bands around it, but a day or two after it is removed, 6 out of 8 pieces will be bananas. I think it it is packaged slightly wet.. but infact the reason is irrelevant..

The same goes for the skirtings, architraves etc.

Incidently and as mentioned before - General purpose silicon sealers in B&Q are criminaly expensive as is glue, wax, nails, screws. Bolts and washers take it to another level!

Its not all negative though, there is no better place to buy cheap loft insulation in the winter as long as they dont think your in the 'trade'. YEP, thoise muppets refusd to sell me a couple of rolls last year because it was a weekday at 8am and I had a pair of steel toecaps on. Apparantly the insulation deals are for home owners only (like me!?!)