To kick things off, we spoke with Technical Sales Manager, Owain Harkus, who works with customers in Exeter and Enstone, to find out what customers in the South West want to know when they’re looking for trusses and joists.

Is your South West Branch New? What does it do?

Yes, our South West Branch is the newest addition to our network, and no expense has been spared – we’ve installed the best equipment the industry has to offer.  We’ve employed people from the local area and offer the training and development required to design and manufacture engineered timber products.

We design and manufacture Roof Trusses, Gable Panels, Spandrel Panels and Posi-Joists.  For the manufacture of Posi-Joists we have installed a fully automated Revolution Posi-Press to ensure the highest quality of joists can be supplied to every possible customer in the South West.

Are all deliveries done via a ridged lorry?

Anyone who has driven around the South West of England will understand how tight the roads can be, so it’s not surprising that this is one of our most commonly asked questions. Many of the roads, particularly in Devon and Cornwall, are inaccessible by heavy goods vehicles, so ridged lorry deliveries can be a problem.

The good news is that when you order from our Exeter branch, we have the ability to deliver to even the tightest locations in the South West with our Pickup Truck and Trailer delivery option. This is much more mobile than a typical ridged lorry and is most often specified for self-build and extensions.

What is treated timber, and do you offer this?

A big misconception when it comes to timber is that treated timber is for weather defence. Treated timber is actually a specific protective treatment to prevent infestation by long horn beetle and is generally applied depending on the specific build location.

The South West is not deemed a treated timber region, as there is no infestation of long horn beetle in this area, however we can stock treated timber for individual projects if needed. Interestingly, Andover is classed as an area at risk of long horn beetle, so our Andover branch only stocks treated timber.

How long can I leave joists and trusses exposed?

We would advise customers to never leave timber exposed to the elements for longer than 90 days (one turn of season). As a general rule, joists and or trusses should be installed within two weeks of delivery.

We can offer a very lean production schedule and can be reactive to customers’ programmes to ensure they can work fluidly without having to stockpile – and to prevent trusses or joists being left on site to get weathered.

If you have any further questions, get in touch with your local branch - we're always happy to help.