Hardwood by LMA Timber

What do the letters LMA stand for in LMA Timber?
LMA stands for Low Maintenance Architectural Timbers.

What does sustainably sourced mean?
Sustainably sourced means we only cut down one tree from every 3 Hectares ensuring mass deforestation does not occur. When harvested from managed Australian/International forests this equates to 2 trees harvested every 5 years forever. Managed forests where older trees are harvested for wood production (carbon storage) sequester carbon at a faster rate than unmanaged forests.

“Responsibly sourced wood is beautiful, versatile and renewable and, by storing carbon, it also helps tackle climate change.” – Planet Ark

Where do the reclaimed/recycled timbers come from?
Australia has an abundance of reclaimed hardwood telephone poles (200,000 available each year), bridge beams, wharf beams and large inner city warehouses – wool stores. There are in excess of 300 buildings being demolished in NSW, GLD, and VIC every week so timber stocks are plentiful!

Do your reclaimed telephone poles which your cladding is milled from contain any nasty treatments?
The answer is NO – they do not! Treatment on telephone poles affects the sapwood which is generally the first 5-10mm of the timber. This is cut away leaving the heartwood/true wood which our cladding is then milled/profiled from which contains zero treatment.

Why chose our hardwood cladding over the likes of Cedar?
Our hardwood cladding doesn’t require regular oiling or staining like Cedar does and is extremely durable for 40+ years. The ongoing maintenance costs for the likes of Cedar will continue for its lifetime the building at a cost of around $21 per square metre every two to three years.

What are the structural properties of hardwood vs the likes of SG8, and Glulam?
Our hardwood timbers have significant structural capabilities. As a comparison, our F27-graded hardwoods are 5 times stronger (bending strength) than SG8, nearly triple GL12 and double LVL11.

Will the supply of timber ever run out at it is reclaimed?
As mentioned above, there’s an abundance of reclaimed timber in Australia including 35,000 timber bridges which are being replaced year after year.

What types of hardwoods do you sell?
Blackbutt, Spotted Gum, Tallow Wood, Grey and Red Iron Bark, and Sydney Blue Gum amongst many others.

What does FSC/PEFC-AFS certification mean?
This is certified timber/wood specified ensuring the timber comes from a sustainable source.

What does class 1 hardwood actually mean?
Class 1 means the timber has a high service life (durability) of greater than 40 years. Many other timber cladding products in New Zealand are only Class 2 or even 3 and do not have the same natural durability as hardwood.

How long does the timber take to the mill from when it’s ordered and then ship from Brisbane to New Zealand
Depending on what is ordered, decking, cladding, and flooring takes around 12-14 weeks from order. Shipping takes around 7- 14 days and a couple of days to clear customs.

What payments do I need to make to secure my order?
We request a 30% deposit at the time of your order and the remaining 70% at the time of shipment from Brisbane to New Zealand. Photos of your order will be taken to confirm the milling has taken place before being loaded into the container.

What timber solutions do you supply
Cladding, Decking, Flooring, Big Structural Beams and Posts, Joinery, Landscaping Timbers, Commercial fit-outs and much more.

Are there colours I can choose?
Yes, you can for our reclaimed cladding although please remember that the timber is a natural product and colour variation will occur. Colours range from grey/blue to dark brown. All other timber applications will come in their natural timber colours and can be oiled/stained as required to achieve the look you prefer.

How does the timber get through customs in New Zealand as we have very strict controls on natural products?
Before the timber leaves Australia it is fumigated and kiln-dried down to between 9 – 14% moisture. When it arrives in New Zealand, MPI is then supplied with the Fumigation and Kiln Dried Certificates. They undertake a visual inspection of the timber along with a moisture test to confirm what the documentation states and the timber is then released. We have had countless containers go through this process so we are very efficient with our import systems and processes.

How old is the reclaimed timber?
The timber can be anywhere from 25 years old to 200 years old depending on what its former life was. All timber is graded however to ensure we are delivering a premium product in line with our customer’s expectations.

Is the timber cladding expensive compared to the likes of Cedar?
No is the honest answer. The construction industry is on a real boom since Covid hit last year with many materials increasing in cost including cedar. We are now cost comparable to cedar however, by the time you oil the timber and continue the maintenance over a number of years, our timber cladding works out to be considerably more cost-effective.

Does the timber meet NZ building code regulations?
All of our timbers meet New Zealand Building Code Regulations.

What about the carbon footprint of importing timber from Australia to New Zealand?
As the timber comes by ship in a container with thousands of other containers, our carbon footprint is less than driving from Christchurch to Kaikoura! Many timbers imported into New Zealand come from North America or the Netherlands so have a considerably greater initial carbon footprint.

With LMA Timber being part of the Caldwell Group, we have been planting hundreds of acres of trees which result in Carbon Credits which in itself is going above and beyond to ensure we look after the future of our environment.

What fixings do I need to use for cladding and decking options?
One option is Wurth Stainless Steel self-tapping screws – 50mm – 70mm. Annular nails can also be used where pre-drilling is required. Please request further details for fixings by emailing info@lmatimber.co.nz.

Is your timber cladding actually maintenance-free?

From an oiling/staining perspective once the installation has been undertaken, yes, it is. Being a class 1 timber with 40 years plus service life, this makes the timber very durable and thus, you can leave the timber to weather and silver off over time without affecting the durability of the product. We do recommend however to wash your cladding down at least once a year to avoid any dirt/grime buildup.

Do I need to oil my hardwood decking and if so with what?
It is highly recommended to have your decking timber oil – preferably on all 4 sides. Our decking can come with an industrial coat that has been applied at the time of milling. You can either let your decking silver off or apply two coats of Dulux’s Integrations Natures Oil yourself.

Can I get selected lengths and if so what?
Yes, you can get selected lengths but this will incur a 15% (1.0m – 3.0m) to 25% (3.1m to 6.0m) surcharge just as you would with other timber products. It can take up to 12 weeks to source when it is reclaimed timber. The selected lengths can be anything from 1.0m right up to 6.0m long.

What is the average length of the cladding/decking I will receive?

The average length for cladding is approximately 2.7m or greater and for decking, lengths are 1.8m or longer on average. 

What timber finishes / profiles do you supply?
We can literally supply any finish/profile you wish as everything is milled to order. From pencil edges, dome tops, dressed, hand-brushed to building code-compliant cladding profiles we supply it all!

What are your payment terms?
A 30% deposit is required upon receipt of the invoice to confirm the order, without the deposit payment we cannot guarantee your order will be placed. This is a non-refundable deposit.

The remaining 70% is required upon shipping the container leaving supplier's yard in Brisbane. Photos will be supplied as proof of your order being shipped.

Shipping takes on average around 14 days from port to port and 7 days to clear customs / MPI inspection for collection/delivery to the site. No timber will be released until the final payment has been made.

Is my timber covered by insurance until it arrives onsite?
LMA Timber Ltd are covered by Marine Transit Insurance for all timber orders between leaving our supplier's yard and being received onsite.

What happens if my timber turns up with any damage?
Claims for damaged or faulty Goods must be advised in writing within 7 days of the receipt of the goods. LMA Timber will then investigate any such claim. If the damage is such that all or part of the Goods needs replacing, we will remedy this within a reasonable time.

Storage of Timber – Cladding / Decking

Once the timber has been received and before it is fixed, the timber ideally should be stored in a dry area. Internal timbers MUST be kept in the location of their final placement for 14 days prior so they can acclimatise before being fixed. Timber is hygroscopic meaning it can take on and expel moisture. LMA Timber abide by MPI regulations and all timber under 50mm is kiln-dried to between 9-14% moisture content and anything over 50mm is seasoned to under 20% moisture content.

If you request LMA Timber to store your timber, please note our storage area is in ITM Dyers Road yard and is uncovered. Timber stored here is at your own risk as it is exposed to the elements.

What are our oiling/staining options?
LMA Timber uses Dulux Intergrain Natures Oil (Natural Colour) and if requested we can oil a factory all four sides of the timber. When making cuts to the timber these must be oiled to prevent any splits and moisture damage to the timber. The Dulux product can be bought using our discount code 139658 from Dulux direct.

Both the Obsidian Black and the Smokey Grey Oil / Stain colour LMA Timber have been made in Australia and are not purchasable in NZ, however, they can be colour matched at most DIY shops.

If you have purchased our sawn cladding with the Smokey Grey stain or the Obsidian Black stain, please bear in mind that the top face only has this colour, and the laps are a dressed finish without the colour of your chosen stain.

All laps and cuts do need to be oiled or stained.

Can you deliver my timber to the site once it lands at a New Zealand Port (Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch)?
If you require your order to be freighted to the site within New Zealand, LMA Timber can offer this service with Mainfreight. We can request a quote for a delivery only (which will require you to have some lifting equipment to unload from the truck) or we can request a quote for a Hiab truck which can unload for you.

LMA Timber can give you an indication of the price for these services as a PC Sum, however, the exact amount will be confirmed once a formal quote from Mainfreight is obtained. You are welcome to organise your own freight to the site.

Why choose sustainably?
Sustainable forestry relates to how timber is being harvested. In Australia, this equates to how many trees are harvested per land area over time. This ensures the longevity of the forest for generations to come. In managed forests where older trees are harvested for wood production (carbon storage), they sequester carbon at a faster rate than in unmanaged forests. The certification ensures that the wood specified is sustainably sourced giving you peace of mind.

What is sustainable timber?
Sustainable timber refers to timber that has been harvested responsibly from well-managed forests that are continuously replenished and ensure that there is no damage to the surrounding environment, or to native flora and fauna.

Timber and climate change
Timber has a significantly lower embodied carbon footprint compared to other mainstream construction materials. This is due to the minimal processing required, even when accounting for the process of laminating (glulam or cross-laminated timber) which is generally required to create structural timber products.

If sustainably sourced, using timber can have an additional positive environmental impact because trees absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and lock it away as carbon, thus removing it from the atmosphere. This phenomenon is called sequestration and can essentially offset the processing and transportation energy associated with timber products. Therefore, timber can be considered a carbon-negative material.

How much sustainable hardwood timber is available?
LMA are the New Zealand distributor for Kennedys. Kennedys mill cutting sustainably sourced local hardwoods.

On a recent trip, we went to a Kennedys timber mill whilst they were cutting sustainably sourced local hardwoods (Ironbark and Spotted gum). All of this timber is green, and is first dried and then seasoned. The timber, once milled, is strip stacked at Kennedy's yard for six months to up to two years to dry naturally. The images below show the scale of the operation and stocks ready to be milled. The reclaimed timber is stored in a number of large yards including beams and square timber at Kennedy's.  Poles and sleepers are also stored at a further three yards measuring over fourteen acres! Machining, pre-oiling and joinery are all done in-house before being shipped to us in New Zealand for distribution.