There is no doubt that the use of sustainable timber in the built environment plays a crucial role in minimizing our ecological footprint.
However, timber cannot become a viable core building material unless we find a way to producing it in masses, sustainably and with future generations in mind.
This is where Crafted Hardwoods is so different. We DO NOT rely on mature trees. Instead, we take abundant juvenile low-value wood resources (pulpwood) and convert them into timbers that have the feel, look and properties of 100-year-old trees.
We give these underutilised resources another life with exceptional value-add, fulfilling the demand for low-carbon, toxin-free building materials without compromising our native forests and biodiversity areas.
Our goal is to offer our material at the same price as conventional timber.
Not only that, but our business model also enables us to hold quoted pricing for a period of 12 months, giving our clients peace of mind that their project will not be negatively impacted by the price volatility ruling the traditional wood markets.
We can achieve this because our raw material - pulpwood - is so abundant. Australia alone produces 16 million m3 of it every year! (source: FAOSTAT)
We will always do what we can to help our clients meet their sustainability goals and their bottom line.
Timber is generally divided into three categories, saw timber, veneer, and pulpwood.
Pulpwood is the lowest-grade product among the three, and in most cases, it is the most abundant product in the forest. Traditionally, pulpwood would refer to wood that is made into pulp for papermaking, but it also refers to low-grade or juvenile wood used for wood chips or engineered wood products.
Trees that are too small for saw timber gets classified as pulp automatically. Even mature, high-value trees are often sold as pulpwood if their quality is too undesirable. For example, a tree with too many holes, knots and limbs will be unusable for saw timber but will qualify as pulpwood.
Our process starts with thin sheets of wood, or veneers. We source these directly from reliable mills who have the rotary peeling ability, meaning they can direct their low-grade logs (pulp logs) to get veneered and keep their larger logs for sawn material. This is a win-win for both parties.
We have a range of Australian species which are sourced locally and we also source species from overseas.
Whilst we understand the importance to support our local economies, due to the way we make our product (using logs that are destined for pulp) and knowing how much pulp is produced globally, we feel that it is worthwhile to use both local and international resources.
As always, whether sourced in Australia or from overseas, all our raw wood material is FSC© or PEFC™ certified.
Juvenile plantation wood is the material that we use the most. However, some of our wood species cannot be obtained from plantations. This is the case for our Tasmanian Oak, which is sourced from sustainably managed forests in Tasmania.
When more mature trees are logged, we only use the fall down that does not meet a supplier’s specifications for saw timber.
In other words, whether it comes from plantations or sustainably managed forests, our raw material is always what is regarded as low-value by the industry.
It is a priority for us to only source raw wood material that is either FSC© or PEFC™ certified.
The chain of custody for certified wood products ensures transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain. This gives us the ability to track the movement of wood from the forest and through processing. We can trace each block we produce to its forest or plantation.
This chain of custody ensures that the raw wood materials we are buying originate from sustainably managed forests and plantations and have been produced according to rigorous standards.
This is an important question. Yes, our machinery needs a fair bit of electricity to run.
Our manufacturing is done in a modern government owned facility in Adelaide. The roof being covered with solar panels, a large portion of the energy we use comes from the sun.
South Australia being a leader in sustainable energy, the state generates almost 70% of its electricity from renewable sources which is projected to reach 85% by 25/26, with a target of 100% by 2030.
We are not competing with the traditional engineered wood products currently found in the large commodity markets. Instead, we are providing a new supply of high-value sustainable wood with applications that encompass both the decorative and structural wood markets.
Whilst our process might sound similar to that used to produce other engineered wood products, it is vastly different, and the resulting product is like nothing else on the market.
Our glue is a water-based, non-toxic "nano resin" that bio-mimic the natural lignins produced by trees.
Our timbers DO NOT contain formaldehyde adhesives or other harmful chemicals. Our products have been tested for VOCs and are certified by the Green Building Council Australia.
Safe for us. Safe for the environment.
Yes!
Handling, machining, and finishing timber products requires skills and knowledge, but in most instances machining Crafted Hardwoods will be like using any natural timber product.
Refer to our “working with Crafted Hardwoods” guide for more information.
Our current species are listed here and include a range of Australian species and carefully selected species from around the world.
If you cannot find what you are looking for, reach out to us as we have the ability to create bespoke timbers unique to your project.
All our raw wood material, whether sourced in Australia or overseas, is FSC© or PEFC™ certified, giving us the assurance that it is obtained from forests that are well-cared for and meet rigorous standards for sustainable and ethical forestry practices.
Typically, once you have selected your wood species, you will need to specify a cut-option: back-swan or quarter-sawn.
Looking for a rustic, natural look? Our back-sawn timber has the same stunning aesthetic and character as back-sawn natural timber and often showcase unique, bold, and distinctive patterns.
Going for a neutral, minimalist design? When cut across the grain, or what we call our quarter-sawn cut, our timber will display a very uniform linear grain pattern with minimal imperfections. This cut exposes each veneer.
