Eucalyptus decking is preparing to take on established tropical hardwood species in the UK, with the arrival of the first container of Weyerhaeuser’s Lyptus branded decking product.
The Brazilian plantation product, to be launched at Glee this month, will be priced to target the mid-market against the likes of balau.
The launch follows a search for a sustainable decking product with a more reliable supply by Lyptus UK distributor Woodlink UK.
Woodlink’s German parent company successfully commissioned independent testing of the product at the Hamburg Technical Institute which it said shows the product can meet durability class 3, the same as balau and iroko. Woodlink said the product also now been verified as meeting the class by TRADA.
The institute had advised Weyerhaeuser and Woodlink on the engineering of an exact manufacturing process using just eucalyptus heartwood to give a minimum ensity of 600kg/m3 that could open up its use for exterior applications.
Woodlink partner Cyril Williams told TTJ that the first container of 20x90mm product was at Rainham.
“We’re in discussions with a couple of larger merchants that have outlets around the country,” he said.
At Glee, a decking display using Lyptus will be built to draw interest from decking buyers and raise awareness of the brand.
John Guerin, European commercial director for Weyerhaeuser, said until now, plantation-grown Lyptus had been used for millwork and panelling. He said close product monitoring and control of moisture levels during drying was key to making the material a more durable product.
Shortages in sustainable tropical decking opened an opportunity for use as decking.
“Because it’s from plantations it is not subject to the same fluctualities of supply as tropical timber species,” he said. “Buyers have felt pressure to buy in bulk with tropical timber rather than on an ongoing basis.”
Lyptus decking is already being sold in Brazil and Japan.
