January 2025 News from the Sawmill
Welcome to our January newsletter
To kick off 2026 we delve into all things timber cladding. We make the case for mixing your cladding widths and present a new case study where our clients have done exactly that to great effect. With pride and a little emotion we announce Brimstone’s 10th birthday. Plus, new NBS compatible content that you can easily lift from our website. Finally Tom has been doing his bit to charm politicians and fly the flag for British-grown timber.
Accessible NBS Content
We’ve been listening to your feedback and ideas, and one thing that kept coming up was the need for easily accessible NBS-style content. So we’ve added checked, qualified information to our website in the right format for architects to lift and use straight away. It’s all housed in our resource centre and should save time hunting around for information or chasing files.
Why Mixed-Width Timber Cladding Works
When you are next specifying or installing timber cladding, consider mixing up the widths. This isn’t just to increase curb appeal. There are a multitude of detailing and sustainability reasons for introducing variation into your cladding design . Not least, it could save you money and time.
Brimstone® at 10: A Decade of British Thermally Modified Timber
Launching new products is great, but celebrating 10 years of success is something the team is really proud of. Blood, sweat and tears have literally all been shed getting our Brimstone product to where it is today. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of so many amazing projects where customers have put their faith in our products and created amazing buildings and homes. Brimstone, a product designed to make the most of British grown timber, is now a tried and tested product that we understand inside out. For more reasons to love Brimstone just as much as us, check out our blog.
Case Study: Brimstone ash
Our latest case study looks at Brimstone ash at Low meadow, a project shaped by thoughtful detailing and a clear idea of how the building should age over time. It shows how thermally modified British ash behaves in real use, bringing consistency, stability, and a calm, natural appearance once it’s on the building. A quietly confident project that demonstrates how Brimstone can be specified with reassurance when longevity, appearance, and material integrity matter.
Tom heads to the Houses of Parliament with Confor
In December Tom spent time in Parliament as part of a Confor delegation, joining MPs and industry colleagues to discuss opportunities for British grown timber in the built environment. MP’s were treated to passionate pleas to increase woodland creation, consider timber security and support more home grown timber in construction. Find out more about Tom’s work away from the sawmill in our blog.
Pssst – I think it’s about time for a short introduction.
It’s no longer Tom Barnes curating our From The Sawmill newsletter, but me – Rosie Boorman. I joined the Vastern team towards the end of 2025, to make it easier for our customers to buy the right wood for their job.
Do feel free to follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook and share your projects with us, so we can shout about your project successes.
