Building material costs in France going up in price

[mysty]

I had read how UK builders are having to pay high prices for building materials partly because of brexit then covid and had a good laugh.
Went to place an order today for a new renovation, pine wooden flooring that was 15 euros a sqm five months ago is now 22 a sqm.
Rot proof chipboard flooring went from 15 a sheet to 28.
Timber has all gone up in price but most of these materials are made in France, not sure why prices are going up here.
I cancelled the order, not about to over pay, plenty of other things to finish off.

[niemeyjt]

Because many reasons - forest fires, increased demand as people did DiY during various lockdowns, shipping and other transport costs, mills and factories on reduced staffing due to covid with reduced output etc

[mysty]

Because many reasons - forest fires, increased demand as people did DiY during various lockdowns, shipping and other transport costs, mills and factories on reduced staffing due to covid with reduced output etc

Not sure on that one, France always has forret fires. More people are doing DIY but thats no reason for price hikes.
A lot of the wood comes from landes so transport has not gone up that much.
So as pachca would say, laminated flooring has not gone up in price so why should pine flooring?

[rsm]

China and USA buying most of the stocks because their economies came out of confinement earlier, nothing to do with greed of course

[exile]

Because many reasons - forest fires, increased demand as people did DiY during various lockdowns, shipping and other transport costs, mills and factories on reduced staffing due to covid with reduced output etc

Not sure on that one, France always has forret fires. More people are doing DIY but thats no reason for price hikes.
A lot of the wood comes from landes so transport has not gone up that much.
So as pachca would say, laminated flooring has not gone up in price so why should pine flooring?

It's forest fires in Canada, the US and Australia that has put a pressure on world timber prices. First there is less timber coming from these countries for local use and export; and secondly rebuilding has needed some timber to be imported from elsewhere rather than use local timber. I am not suggesting that French timber is shipped to these countries directly (though it might be) but it creates an elastic pull. So they import timber from local countries in greater amount, that means those countries now need to import timber and so on until we see timber in Europe going up in price because of general demand.

I tried to get a small timber shed to act as a wood store. My first choice stocked out before I could place an order, my second choice also went out of stock then up in price and with a very lengthy and uncertain delivery time. Most of these are sourced with Latvian or Estonian timber. So France it seems, despite its forests, cannot supply economically.

Laminated flooring is 90% fine chipboard. This is the bits of wood you cannot use structurally plus a lot of recycle wood (pallets are a good source) glued as sheets. Rather less pressure on those sources than on structural timber - indeed with people buying more stuff, the number of pallets in circulation and therefore available for chipping is probably more than it has ever been.

[Hotrodder]

The upswing in timber prices has been reported for a while now, and all countries will be affected in one way or another. You can thank economic globalisation for that, as well as the shortage of shipping containers etc.
I have been trying to find 70x70 mm treated fence posts for most of this year and found none yet, even from places that stock two different types of galvanised sockets for mounting them.

I only need one and considered buying a 100x100 mm one and cutting it down to size but most of the pressure treatment is on the outer section so would be lost.

[Doug]

There's been word of the price hike for quite a whie.
Shades of the early 70s, then it was the oil crises which caused it and building costs doubled, then again.
In 1971 I paid £4000 for a third of an acre building plot with another £4000 for materials to build a three bedroom chalet house.
In 1976 another third acre plot cost me £10,000 with building costs costing £20,000 for a property of the same size.

[niemeyjt]

Shades of the early 70s, then it was the oil crises which caused it and building costs doubled, then again.

Yes - and I think we still remember the effect on inflation and interest rates. What impact a repeat might have in our current indebted world does not bear thinking about.

[mysty]

Shades of the early 70s, then it was the oil crises which caused it and building costs doubled, then again.

Yes - and I think we still remember the effect on inflation and interest rates. What impact a repeat might have in our current indebted world does not bear thinking about.

So, bankers will do okay.

[mysty]

There's been word of the price hike for quite a whie.
Shades of the early 70s, then it was the oil crises which caused it and building costs doubled, then again.
In 1971 I paid £4000 for a third of an acre building plot with another £4000 for materials to build a three bedroom chalet house.
In 1976 another third acre plot cost me £10,000 with building costs costing £20,000 for a property of the same size.

It's good to see prices from the past. I guess from what your saying is prices will not come back down anytime soon.