Availability Factors

Availability means more than choosing a timber species

A timber may have exactly the properties a designer wants, but it is only a practical choice if enough of it can be obtained in time. Availability means being able to obtain the required material in the right form, dimensions and quantity when production needs it.

For example, choosing plywood for a cabinet is not the end of the decision. The designer must also check that a supplier can provide sheets of the required thickness and size. This applies to both natural timber, cut from trees, and manufactured boards, made by bonding wood layers, particles or fibres together.

Designing around stock materials

Stock materials are materials that suppliers routinely hold in standard forms and sizes. Natural timber is available as planks and boards; manufactured boards such as MDF, plywood and chipboard are supplied as sheets. Dowel and standard mouldings are also available as ready-made sections.

A common manufactured-board sheet size is 2440 mm × 1220 mm, with different thicknesses available. Rectangular timber is described by its length, width and thickness, while round dowel is described by its length and diameter. A designer therefore needs to specify dimensions as well as the material name.

Using readily available stock makes supply more predictable and helps avoid waiting for a special order. Designing parts to fit standard sheets can also reduce offcuts: a cabinet designer can plan how its panels will fit onto a sheet before fixing their dimensions. However, using a standard sheet does not automatically prevent waste; the arrangement and sizes of the parts still matter.

For batch production, reliable stock is especially useful because the manufacturer needs repeated supplies of the same material. A design that depends on an unusual size may be harder to produce consistently than one based on sections the supplier normally holds.

When specialist materials are needed

Specialist materials are chosen for particular characteristics and may need a specialist supplier or a special order. Some exotic hardwoods, for example, may have to be imported rather than purchased from a local supplier’s normal stock.

This can create a longer lead time: the interval between ordering and receiving the timber. It can also make supply less predictable. A manufacturer must check whether enough material will arrive before production begins and whether replacement supplies will be available later.

Specialist does not mean unsuitable. Its particular properties or appearance may be important to the product. The decision is a balance: retain the specialist timber if its benefits justify the supply constraints, or choose a more readily available alternative if that alternative still meets the design requirements.

How hurricanes, storms and disease affect supply

Timber availability depends on living forests. Hurricanes and severe storms can uproot trees through windthrow or break and damage them. Losing or damaging trees can reduce the future supply of suitable timber from an affected area, making a previously reliable material harder to obtain.

Disease can also damage or kill trees and reduce the availability of particular species. Dutch elm disease and ash dieback are examples affecting elm and ash respectively. A disease affecting one species can therefore limit a designer’s choice even when other timbers remain available.

These events also have environmental consequences. Damage and tree loss can alter woodland structure and wildlife habitats, affecting the forest as well as the timber supply. Replacing lost trees does not provide an immediate replacement supply: trees need time to grow.

For material selection, the important connection is forest damage → less reliable supply → reconsidering the choice of timber. A designer may need another supplier, a different species or a suitable manufactured board. The replacement must still provide the properties needed by the product; availability alone is not enough to justify it.