Sustainability

Wood

Our core values lie with people and the planet! Todmorden itself is all about kindness. We believe in looking after each other and the wonderful environment in which we are lucky to live. We carry these values through Calder Valley Projects and are continually working to improve our sustainability and ethical performance, in turn helping you to choose an option that positively contributes to the future of mankind and the planet.

We work with solid timber and plywood, and always trace our materials back to their source and their journey through the supply chain. At every point, we scrutinise the sustainability and responsibility of suppliers.

We have long been working with birch plywood, as does much of our industry. Our main supplier is Hansons Plywood, based a stones throw away in Halifax. Hanson Plywood’s collection of h Birch Plywood is sourced from carefully selected and trusted mills that have a pedigree in producing high quality plywood. These suppliers continue to maintain this reputation through the combination of high quality birch veneers, phenol-based glue bonds and state of the art manufacturing processes.

We have access to a variety of sizes, grades and thicknesses, all suitable and tested for use in structural applications where moisture and humidity may fluctuate.

Hanson Plywood’s Birch Plywood is sourced from well-managed, FSC® and PEFC chain of custody certified forest management units.

The company’s robust FSC® Chain of Custody management system ensures that this certification is respected and adhered to throughout the supply chain. For further information, please refer to our Environment Page.

Exterior Glue Birch Throughout Plywood also emits extremely low levels of formaldehyde and is CARB Phase 2 compliant. This means the product’s glue line is tested by the California Air Resource Board to meet a permissible level lower than that which is dictated by the European Standards (E1 under EN 717-2).

More information can be found on the Hansons Plywood website: https://hanson-plywood.co.uk/products/exterior-glued-birch-throughout-plywood/

Solid timber

When using solid timber, we always prefer to work with our local tree surgeons, supporting our community and directly repurposing waste. There are a wide variety of local timbers to choose from, are happy to talk you through these and offer our expert advice.

Oak: Strong, hard, heavy, and dense with very close grain, due to high tannin content it is very resistant to insect and fungal infestations.
Ash: Very dense, tough, and strong, whilst benefitting from good elasticity, takes polishes and stains very well.
Cherry: Offers strength and the ability to be bent into different shapes, takes wood dyes well and can be polished to a very good finish.
Apple: Appearance and texture closely resemble cherry, but is significantly heavier and harder, grain is sometimes seen with streaks of darker and lighter bands of colour, similar to olive.
Pear: Very hard, requiring the sharpest of tools to work it, allowing fine details and delicate shapes. Lacks the usual graphics of timber, without lines running through, instead shows more of colour shift, from dark pinky-brown fleshy colour to orangey or purple and brown on either side of these.

We also use British walnut and British and Scandinavian redwood at the request of our clients.

Finishes

When it comes to finishes, we are conscious that we can’t always use 100% eco-driven materials – we are continuing to look our surface product’s life span, searching for warranted sustainability and a minimised carbon footprint left by its production. Our current research has led to us using two surface finishes.

EGGER laminate

EGGER laminate is available in a large range of colours and has highly aesthetic appeal. It is a highly versatile surface that is abrasion-, impact-, and scratch-resistant, food-safe, and hygienic (antibacterial surface property in accordance with ISO 22196). The German federal portal for the assessment system for sustainable building (BNB) listed in its report, BBSR Table – Useful lives of components for life cycle analyses, that for use in general fixtures/furnishing systems, Egger laminate has a life span of up to 40 years, making it a highly sustainable product.

We use Egger laminate in our furniture frontals, worktops and splashback panels, tabletops and desktops, door, and wall panelling.

You can read more about EGGER laminate here: https://www.egger.com/shop/en_GB/interior/product/LAMINATES

HI-MACS

HI-MACS solid surface is aesthetically stunning, with a very hard-wearing finish. We love to see kitchens, desks and tables finished with HI-MACS and have not had a disappointed client to date. HI-MACS is made from a blend of 75% natural minerals and pigments set in an acrylic matrix. It has no volatile organic compound emissions and is formaldehyde- and nanoparticle-free. Sheets are worked mostly in the same way as wood and an almost infinite variety of designs can be achieved. We take HI-MACS and combine it with the chosen wood for the project. The result is a seamlessly joined solid surface that will elevate any project into something truly special.

HI-MACS manufacturer LG Hausys regularly publishes the results of its environmental and energy consumption analyses, which help to drive its sustainability strategy. HI-MACS manufacture holds a classification as an emission-free product and contributes virtually no waste to landfill. The company also provides environmental product verifications and international certifications, which contribute to green building projects.

To find out more about HI-MACS: https://himacs.eu/en

Lifetimes use

What we make, we make to last a lifetime! All work is backed up by our 30-year guarantee.