Common garden product types include:

• Gates & Fence panels (see Fencing)
• Sleepers or Landscaping timbers.
• Garden Buildings
• Sheds
• Other Garden Structures

The above products vary significantly in terms of size, cost, availability and timber species, so always do your research before choosing which product is most suitable for your particular project.

Many TDUK suppliers offer these products as part of their portfolio, and choosing a TDUK supplier means you can be sure that the timber used is both high quality and from a sustainable forest.

Often the only standard element to timber gates and fence panels will be sizes, with each manufacturer having unique styles and branded products. Most pedestrian gates will be 0.9m wide and 0.9m or 1.8 m high. UK Fence Panels will often be 1.83m (6ft) wide while imported panels are at a standard 1.8m. Standard heights are usually 0.9m / 1.2m/ 1.5m or 1.8m.

For more information on fencing and a guide to fence posts see Fencing 

The use of large section timbers in landscaping and garden applications has its history in the reuse of worn or redundant wooden railway sleepers. While there are still some legitimate supplies of reclaimed railway sleepers the restrictions on the use of creosote treated wood has given this market the opportunity to explore different species and types of treatment.

Durability: Given sleepers and landscaping timbers are always at risk of being in contact with the ground it is important that the right specification is applied to ensure they can perform in this taxing environment. European and American White Oak hardwood sleepers may not require preservative treatment as they are naturally more durable, but if you are in doubt, check with your supplier. Avoid non-durable hardwood species such as Beech or Red Oak as they will decay rapidly unless preservative treated. Some tropical hardwood species are sufficiently durable for long term ground contact. Check with your specialist TDUK hardwood supplier for more information on the species available for ground contact applications.

Durability for ground contact becomes more critical when timbers are designed for a load bearing or soil retaining function as premature failure could result in injury. Use Class 4 is the minimum recommended performance for such timbers as defined in the national standard BS.8417 and as now required by the NHBC technical specification for new housing. Softwood sleepers will inevitably be in ground contact either partially buried in soil, forming a raised bed containing soil, or laid on the ground as a path or edging. Therefore, it is recommended that all softwood sleepers need to have a Use Class 4 preservative pretreatment applied. For more resistant species such as Spruce or Douglas Fir this can only be achieved with additional processing such as incision.

For timber species that are not listed in BS EN 350 as Durable or Very Durable, Use Class 4 performance can only be guaranteed with industrial pretreatment.

Textures: Softwood sleepers come as rough sawn, smooth with eased (rounded) edges or, from some suppliers, with a charred and ‘brushed’ look. However, all of these finishes will still require the underlying timber to meet Use Class 4 requirements when used in ground contact. Some species of resistant timber, especially Spruce, are incised to ensure they can meet the penetration required to meet the Use Class 4 and service life specification. Incised timber has small slits over the sawn surfaces.

Dimensions:

• Reclaimed ex-railway sleepers: can be 125mm x 250mm x 2600mm, or 150mm x 250mm x 2600mm.
• Softwood sleepers: Spruce lengths include 1.2m, 1.8m, 2.4m and 3.0m, while available widths/heights include 100mm x 200mm and 125mm x 250mm. Douglas Fir/Larch lengths include 1.2m, 2.4m and 3.0m, while available widths/heights include 100mm x 200mm, 125mm x 250mm, and 200mm x 250mm.
• Hardwood sleepers: Available Oak lengths are 2.4m, 2.6m, and 3.0m, while widths/heights are 100mm x 200mm and 125mm x 250mm

• Naturally Durable Temperate Hardwoods: European or UK grown Oak and Sweet Chestnut are the only temperate hardwood commonly available in the UK which have sufficient natural durability (Durability Class 2) to claim a desired service life of 15 years when used in ground contact and then only where the sapwood is fully removed. Other temperate hardwoods such as Beech or Birch are classified as non-durable and therefore are not recommended for use as land scaping timbers where a desired service life is required unless preservative treated.
• Naturally Durable Tropical Hardwoods: such as Greenheart, Ekki, Iroko, Massaranduba and Wenge have sufficient natural durability to be used in ground contact Durability Class 1 – very durable or Durability Class 2 Durable.
• Softwoods: No Softwoods commercially available in the UK have sufficient natural durability to be used in ground contact applications without some form of preservative treatment. This means most the common species used for sleepers and Landscape timbers will be those most amenable to accepting preservative treatments such as Pine. More resistant species such as Spruce, Larch and Douglas Fir, will require additional techniques such as incision in order to achieve the necessary preservative penetration for ground contact Use Class 4 applications. Softwood timbers not meeting the full requirements for Use Class 4 treatments should not be used in ground contact applications as they will not achieve the minimum desired service life of 15 years defined in BS.8417.
• Modified wood: Large sections of modified woods such as Accoya could be adapted for use as sleepers, but are not yet widely available in purpose-manufactured form.

Garden buildings are a great example of offsite timber construction delivering Panelised or Modular Timber Buildings which can be easily and quickly assembled into fully finished work leisure or entertainment spaces to compliment any home.

Consisting of a generally softwood frame with profiled timber cladding to keep out the weather, whatever your guilty pleasure there will be a timber based shed for it from classic Gardening to Crafting to mechanics and a million other hobbies.

The list is endless from Seats and Benches to recycling and cycle storage to Gazebos and outdoor kitchens, entertainment spaces.