"The flooding and storm devastation in the south and south-west will create an impact [on demand] that the hardwood trade will not be prepared for," said Andy Lodowski, managing director of Associated Timber Services.
"There’s a lag at the moment, but there will be such a need for wood for sea defences and rivers will need shoring up. My belief is that the demand will be ongoing for some time."
Timber mats for diggers to use to access civil engineering projects will also be a growth area.
On the kitchens front, Mr Lodowski highlighted the Thames Valley region as likely to yield a good level of replacement kitchen work, as many kitchens in wealthy towns like Datchet, Staines-upon-Thames and Windsor were affected.
"Kitchens will need replacing as they do not stand up to flooding," said Mr Lodowski.
One kitchen manufacturer told him that flooding last year had boosted its kitchen production by 300 units, but this year it was expecting an extra 3,000 units – a ten-fold increase.
"But it’s also joinery products like floors, doors and staircases," said Mr Lodowski.
Having enough tradesmen to complete that work and sufficient capacity in the hardwood sawmilling trade were another matter, he added, with the likelihood that prices will rise with burgeoning demand.
