Cost of Birch Ply

[Jonm]

According to several vids on YouTube, this lunacy has been initiated by the sawmills. The timber growers are getting what they always have but the mills are the ones converting trees into usable timber. They appear to be holding the trump cards. Cartel is a word that springs to mind. The vids also predict a drop in the prices soon. I sincerely hope so.

There was another post “is it me or” about timber prices. I found looking at worldwide timber prices is was very confusing, sometimes not clear if it was retail prices, share prices, futures prices or producer prices being shown. General consensus was that prices have gone up dramatically for consumers but not suppliers, apparently coronavirus has a lot to do with it.

We cannot console ourselves that we are at least helping the third world because we are not, exact opposite in fact.
here is a link to one of my posts based on world bank data.

Here is a link to a world bank document, World Bank Commodities Price Data (The Pink Sheet) Dated 2-Apr-2021

https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/do...0012021/related/CMO-Pink-Sheet-April-2021.pdf
here is a link to US retail timber prices

Ok, in that case I have attached the graph since 2012. Huge recent Increases in US timber prices.

if you scroll down to the bottom it gives indices for low and medium income countries. For timber it give the following
2010 indices 100 (base date)
2 April 2021 indices 91.4.

here is a site giving a graph of world bank historical figures, indices for March 2021 is 91.2 So ties in with figures directly from the world bank.
https://ycharts.com/indicators/timber_index_world_bankI have attached the chart for the last 5 years. Whilst the prices we are paying are skyrocketing the prices the poorer countries are getting is 90 of what they received in 2010. No wonder we have such terrible problems in the world and migrants risking their lives to get in.

Here is a link to US retail timber prices

Ok, in that case I have attached the graph since 2012. Huge recent Increases in US timber prices.

 

[Mas]

According to several vids on YouTube, this lunacy has been initiated by the sawmills. The timber growers are getting what they always have but the mills are the ones converting trees into usable timber. They appear to be holding the trump cards. Cartel is a word that springs to mind. The vids also predict a drop in the prices soon. I sincerely hope so.

Bit more to it than that imo.

Materials do tend to increase in price following a dip in the market. Construction slows in any market downturn (its often one of the first industries affected). Then it ramps up rapidly as we come out of it. Supply can't keep up with demand. Plus the industries that cut and process the wood would've been affected. Not like they can just keep making new ply whilst the construction industry slowed down. Nowhere to put it and it'd be uneconomical.

I'm expecting a drop in the prices but I wouldn't hold your breath. As someone else said they're unlikely to return to pre pandemic prices.

 

[TobyT]

I bought a sheet of 18mm from Robins 2 weeks ago. I paid less than £100 for it. I had overheard the week before that they had bought 500 sheets before teh price went up.

I can't find the receipt but looking at the online price guide (exc VAT):-
April 2021 2440 x 1220 x 18 mm Birch Plywood£64.72
May 2021 2440 x 1220 x 18 mm Birch Plywood£103.50

Seems Robbins don't delete the old monthly price guides. You can find them by altering the URL (https://www.robbins.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Retail-Price-Guide-1.pdf)
March 2021 2440 x 1220 x 18 mm Birch Plywood£60.95
Feb 2021 2440 x 1220 x 18 mm Birch Plywood£56.33
Jan 2021 2440 x 1220 x 18 mm Birch Plywood£56.33
Dec 2020 2440 x 1220 x 18 mm Birch Plywood£54.80
Nov 2020 2440 x 1220 x 18 mm Birch Plywood£54.80

From July to Dec it was £54.80 (nothing before July).

So prices have doubled in 4 months (or less if you consider it wasn't that different in Feb).

 

[Ozi]

It is expensive, even more so now.

Where I get it from, in liverpool tho.
18mm Bb/Bb Latvian Birch Combi Plywood 1220X2440 EN636-2 FSC(R) | Beers Timber

That's expensive due to the wood being balanced by the negative weight phlogisticated glue.

Sorry I'm being a smart ass but look at the weight

 

[dephill]

I usually use Falcon Panel products, they are the largest importer of wood panel products in the uk apparently. I got a quote in March for 18mm bb/bb birch ply at £39.40+vat a sheet. They did say at the time that prices are rising quickly.
In July last year 18mm bb/cp was just £30.36+vat

 

[Jonm]

Went to nearby builders merchant (Buildbase) looking for 12mm thick sheet material, shelving units for the workshop. OSB, mdf and shuttering ply was all about £16. The “hardwood“ ply was £24. All per 8ft by 4ft sheet, plus vat.

I went for the shuttering ply, mainly to see how good it was as appearance is not too important. Raining a bit at the time so one side got wet on the roof rack, so it bowed, no choice about time of collection. Cut it up in to pieces, about 500mm square. Left overnight, indoors, unheated and next day bow had more or less gone. Glued and screwed it all together and quality seems good, no separating of the layers (screws were going in the end of the ply, between layers). One side of the sheet the finish is ok, other side is rough.