When wood does good in DIY – recyclers offer enthusiasts range of materials at affordable prices
WITH the summer finally here, Do It Yourself enthusiasts could source materials for their projects at competitive prices by using reclaimed wood.
St Albans Wood Recyling, a not for profit social enterprise, was set up by Geoff Deans in 2010 after he quit a City career in banking.
It operates by collecting waste wood from the construction industry and other producers of timber waste to help reduce the amount needlessly going to landfill. The wood is sorted and anything reusable is sold to the community at affordable prices. The business also offers lots of work, learning and training opportunities for people facing barriers to gaining paid employment and those from troubled backgrounds.
Geoff said: “We offer a whole range of materials which are suitable for use in home and garden DIY projects.
“Our recycled timber store has a large range of timber and wood in many different sizes and lengths. The wood is carefully de-nailed and sorted and ready for use in any project. We can even cut the wood to size for a small extra charge. Prices are very reasonable and you can reckon that most of the wood is at least 50% of the price you would pay in most DIY stores.”
He added: “Our wood is sold ‘as seen’ and stock is constantly changing, so we might also have that special piece of wood customers may have in mind.”
Types of timber available for DIY projects include floorboards, joists and beams, doors, both internal and external, gates and fencing, hardwoods and other unique pieces, plywood, OBS and chipboard, planed and rough-sawn timbers, dowel and beading and scaffold boards.
The enterprise also has a collection of recycled wood products such as benches, tables, raised beds, planters and wood ornaments. Shelving units are made up made to measure from sanded down scaffold boards.
St Albans Wood Recycling is now also building up the furniture making side of the business – all made out of reclaimed wood – and continuing to build up its
waste collection service and selling reclaimed wood, to increase the
percentage of wood that is re-used, rather than it getting chipped.
“We want to find more businesses and individuals looking for cost effective solutions to get their waste wood recycled and reused and to introduce more people to the benefits of using reclaimed wood for the 1001 uses our existing customers already find for it,” added Geoff.
He went on: “There is not only a real demand out there to provide flexible, multi-use types of reclaimed wood for a wide range of products; but that there is also a desire for people who need it, to learn new skills to get them back out into the work environment.
“We are also there for everyday people who are able to buy quality, bespoke-designed furniture for their homes and gardens – as well as other outdoor uses for farms and gardeners, but at much more affordable prices.
“All this and we are really benefitting the community and, of course, the environment as a whole.”