Got some wood deck planks to replace the rotting ones at Alleycats (that’s actually Huashan’s job but the boss doesn’t want to bother them). Don’t need liability from customers falling through the floor. Got 3 planks, southern pile (this is what the supplier called it), basically pine with a green tint. I believe these are pressure treated, as in they won’t rot out in the element/rain. 3 8 foot plank, 14.5cm wide, 2.5cm thick, is like 1300nt. I have no idea how much it will cost to redo an entire deck.
Wood is freaking expensive in Taiwan because they’re all imported, and the wood sticks for building walls aren’t exactly cheap either (like over 100 per 8 ft stick). It’s actually cheaper to build houses out of metal studs if doing the stud framing construction. Metal can be imported from China and they cost next to nothing. In fact shipping forwarders in China are now offering a construction material scheme, for individual ordering of construction materials.
I have no idea where to get baltic birch plywood in Taiwan anymore, the usual suppliers don’t have anymore (“war in Russia”) even though Taobao still sells them. Plus I hate their poor communication, as in they won’t show me what exactly I’m getting.
If you build log buildings in Taiwan, the building likely cost way too much in materials, and if they’re not pressure treated (standard chemical is CAS, it contains copper and arsenic, though I am not sure if they are still used) they will rot. This isn’t helped by the fact that almost nothing to stop water infiltration is done.
Probably too off topic. But wood is expensive here solely because the populace is largely ignorant about construction level woods and the insane amount of middlemen gouging here.
If building a large house proper, it’s cheaper to import a container or 3 of real wood from a country that is actually good at producing it. Also have someone that actually understands wood to purchase, unlike our government which just blatantly allows corruption and skimming.
And replace it sooner. Interestingly, that’s a big problem in places like Canada that has historically had high quality wood. Like plywood. Now it’s often Chinese owned companies importing and the stuff warps en route. Rots and is replaced.
Do it right, do it once applies. I would prefer to spend 1000 on something that lasts 70 years than 600 on something that lasts 10 years. The disposable trend is a really dumb one. Nevermind supporting the new nazis, ccp, which is even dumber.
I see lots of Canadian wood from mills I know where I grew up here. But they are usually manufacturing companies, those that understand quality is actually cheaper and nor more expensive. The places that sell wood tend to sell that cheap China garbage, and the like. Taiwan is also enept at manufacturing plywood.
I don’t buy wood from Canada because there’s no cheap way to ship small quantity to Taiwan. Cost is often more than 15 USD per kg, shipped ups or whatever. I can buy wood from china for less than the cost to ship it from Canada. It isn’t a 40% markup, it’s more like 500%.
I’m paying 10rmb per kg shipping from china, less if I’m shipping larger quantity (more than 100kg). There’s no way to cheaply ship anything less than a container from Canada.
If you’re being charges by kg rather than volume, expect high prices as hey are normally freight forwarders. Containers go by volume (cubic meter) with a max weight allowance. Then port time to load/unload and tax crap.
Anyway, not talking about your project, as mentioned previously about Taiwan in general and wood housing in general. The government was ordering boat loads of garbage.
Yes, because Canada has no means to ship anything by sea, only expensive air. I cannot even fit half a TEU in my last large apartment, so containering stuff is out.
I know you go on and on about china being evil, but in the real world few wants to spend 10x for a peace of mind.
I would love ordering stuff from Canada or the US, if they had a reasonable way to get it to me.
Well, obviously…? Why on earth would they be using a container ship to send you a couple of planks?
I responded to what you wrote, which was “Canada has no means to ship anything by sea, only expensive air”. It’s presumably other people’s fault as usual that what you wrote isn’t true.
Canada post doesn’t allow you to ship it by sea. So only way is buy truckloads and container it.
But there’s currently no inexpensive shipping if we’re in no huge hurry to get it. China does, hence I buy from them, even imported stuff (because their market is so much bigger).
I gave you exact examples. Taiwna has loads of Canadian wood. It’s exported here. Raw logs through to highly processed wood like plywood? It’s cheap to ship here as well. It’s further than China, sure. What’s your point? Cargo prices are pretty much world standard and easily checked…again, I’m not talking about your project, but Taiwan wood housing in general lol. Please re read what I already wrote, I don’t think I need to reword it any clearer
Not to beat a dead horse, but lots of the plywood from china is wood from Canada. These are the realities. I have photos if it helps, but this a typhoon thread not a construction one
And yes the Chinese issue is real and important. But that’s beside the point. the raw log exports from Canada is a massive issue as well. I can help explain if you have specific questions otherwise, yes buying small chunks of anything is easier to buy locally through the VERY expensive middlemen which you posted about and I am agreeing with and explaining why it is this way hehe.
The problem is taiwanese middlemen charges way more. The prices people charge for deck wood is insane. 50nt per foot for those 14cm wide deck planks. The Chinese middlemen charges half of what taiwanese ones charge.
Did you read what was written above? Before you call me a crazy anti China person, please actually read what was already said, now you are just repeating what i was saying lol
Your issue with entire logs imported from Canada is a problem Canada needs to deal with. India, despite being a very corrupt country, doesn’t allow this. Indian rosewood for guitars must be processed in India before they’re allowed to be exported.
Is that it? My impression was that untreated construction lumber is expensive because it just isn’t used much. All the framing for shopfronts and such is LVL, and that’s pretty cheap.
Treated wood like decking planks does feel kinda expensive, but I don’t know what it costs elsewhere now. I was in NZ earlier this year and we went to Mitre 10 for some 2x4s, and they cost … about the same as Taiwan? But NZ has its own problems and might not be a good reference.
