From Tree To Wood Treatment

Vuka Timbers supplies eucalyptus timber that has been treated with CCA or creosote. Read about our process, from forest planting to wood treatment, here.

Expert Monitoring

Our products are not just about creosote and CCA wood treatment (although these are very important features). We expertly monitor the planting, growth and quality of our timber from tree to treatment.

Pressure-treated Wood Preservatives

We add the wood preservative to the wooden pole in a calculated manner. In this way we can ensure that we only deliver the best pressure-treated wooden products to our customers.

Renewably Sourced

We source our timber from sustainable, renewable plantations. We have established strategic partnerships with forestry landowners who manage their forests to the highest environmental standards.

Growth Monitoring

The foresters plant high quality eucalyptus tree seeds at the correct distance from each other to ensure sufficient growing space. Once planted, our forestry partners constantly monitor and maintain the trees to guarantee that they grow strong and straight.

Forest Maintenance

Farmers remove weeds from plantations to ensure that the timber trees receive the maximum resources required for growth. And of course, the foresters supervise the plantations to avoid forest fires.

Quality Standards

The excellent management of our forestry landowner partners ensures that all raw materials we use meet our quality standards and wood treatment processes are effective.

Overall Quality

Once the timber enters our yard, the checking process starts and our skilled workers check it. These experts consider many characteristics. After an initial check, we only accept wood of the highest quality.

Moisture Content

We measure the moisture content of all arriving timber. Timber needs to be dry enough so that defects such as warping, splitting and case-hardening do not occur over time. Even though we dry the timber in the yard, we have to determine the moisture content initially. This ensures that the correct drying time is applied. If the moisture content is too high, the integrity of the wood in structures can become compromised.

Defects & Stength Testing

After an initial quality check, timber is cross-cut to the required length. During the cutting process, we perform another check for defects such as saw cuts, sweep or crook, knots or the presence of bark. We do not use wood with defects. We also perform regular strength testing to ensure that our timber meets the required strength parameters.

Drilling

Any drilling of holes or other physical alterations is done before the treatment process. This ensures that the treatment chemicals also cover the holes. If drilling is only done after the treatment process, it risks exposure of the untreated wood.

Wood Treatment

Our timber is treated under pressure. We use two types of wood preservative, CCA and Creosote.

CCA Wood Treatment

CCA stands for copper, chrome, arsenic. This treatment contains these elements in various proportions and is used to protect wood from micro-organisms and insects. Like other copper-based wood preservatives, it gives the timber a greenish tint once treated.

Creosote Wood Treatment

Creosote is a wood preservative that protects wood from a wide range of biological and environmental agents. It is toxic to fungi, insects such as termites and marine borers. It is ideally used in the preservation of telephone poles, transmission poles and fencing poles. We use the Full Cell or Bethell Process for treating with creosote and the Wet Vacuum process for CCA treatment.

Loading

We load a full charge with untreated timber.

Pressure Vessel

The pressure vessel’s door is closed and sealed.

Vacuum Cycle

Trained employees introduce an initial vacuum into the system. They then maintain the vacuum for an adequate period to open the cells of the timber.

Filling Pressure Vessel to Capacity

The pressure vessel is flooded with chemicals while maintaining the vacuum until the pressure vessel is filled to capacity.

Pressure Cycle

We then introduce a pressure cycle to the system and maintain it until the required chemicals have been pumped into the timber.

Removing Surplus Chemicals

When we empty the pressure vessel, we use a transfer pump to remove all the surplus chemicals.

Final Vacuum

In order to ensure that the timber comes out of the pressure vessel drip free, our workers draw a final vacuum.

Precision

We add our pressure treated wood preservatives to our wooden poles in a precise manner. In this way we can ensure that we only deliver the best pressure-treated wooden products to our customers.

ACT Stamp of Approval

Once the timber is completely treated, our workers lay it out on runners. Again, we check the treated wood for any defects, as well as the required retention. Once we have established that the timber complies fully with all requirements, we give the poles the ACT stamp of approval.

Logistics

Vuka Timbers handles complete transport logistics, both by land and sea. In this way, we can ensure that our product promise is kept intact. This allows us to solidify long-term relationships with our clients.

Our Process