Red Grandis is an Ethically Sourced timber of unrivalled quality
Red Grandis is a specifically chosen subspecies of the Eucalyptus family, which as you’ll know is a favourite with Koala bears (none will be harmed by our use of this timber, as it is grown in South America).
Red Grandis is a very functional timber that boasts many advantages; it is native to the east coast of Australia it has since spread across the world in the form of plantations. All of our Red Grandis is sourced from Uruguay; a plantation which sewed its seeds around 25 years ago.
How is Red Grandis grown?
Red Grandis is a fast growing timber; it is harvested at around 20 years old, upon reaching an approximate diameter of 60cm. The trees grow tall and straight with minimum knotting, they are given enough room to allow maximum light and rooting; they are also pruned and managed by well-trained foresters ensuring the best possible specimen.
This also helps when the tree is ready to be extracted. They are purposely placed so they can be cut down safely without disturbing the other trees and any of the natural flora and fauna that live alongside the plantation.
Once felled it is then manufactured into pre-planed engineered lengths, making it highly durable and perfect for external joinery. Because the timber comes to us in engineered, machined lengths, it means there is less waste and a reduction in labour. The initial cost for the timber is higher than some other hardwoods; however, the end product is competitively priced. Unfinished, the timber is pale with subtle rosy tints making it ideal for both paints and stains.
What are the benefits of Red Grandis?
Red Grandis has many advantages over other timbers used in the industry. It is our firm belief that this is the overall best hardwood on the market today, with advantages the end user will surely benefit from.
Red Grandis is ethically sourced; environmentally friendly and available in abundance. It is procured from full FSC-Certified plantations, guaranteed by a full chain of custody. Being FSC-Pure doesn’t just mean that the timber is sustainable; it also means that all of the plantation workers receive a decent livelihood, and that all of their social and health and safety needs are met. This is very important as it will contribute to their economy and hopefully reduce illegal logging.
Red Grandis is stable, durable and dense making it perfect for external use. Typically, we would expect our Red Grandis products to last 50 years in external service with maintenance adhered to. This timber can be grown in 20 years, making it a net absorber of CO2 and a very “green” timber.
Due to the density, Red Grandis machines well and takes finishes superbly. As such, all of our painted Red Grandis products come with a full, no quibble 10 year guarantee. Everything is fully factory-spray finished in a three coat system, which means the finish is even and uniform over the whole product. When using this timber, you will benefit from its hardness which means that it is less likely to dint or get damaged. This contributes towards maintaining the paint coatings for the long term.
Typical uses for this timber are windows, doors, conservatories, and all aspects of external applications. It is particularly well suited to large items such as door frames as it comes in long engineered lengths so it is less likely to bow and warp; this in turn reduces the need to overlap and finger joint frames.
In my opinion, the downside of this timber is that land has been cleared to set up the plantations, which has a negative effect on the local plant and animal inhabitants. However, now the land has been cleared, these plantations can actually help to support the surrounding indigenous lands by providing jobs and security for the local population and reducing the temptation/need for illegal logging.
