Painted architectural joinery from the Georgian period onwards was typically made from resinous softwood timber, grown slowly at high latitudes, such as Baltic Pine or White Deal from Norway. These timbers were selected for their tightly grained characteristics (timber which is slow grown produces a finer grain, giving a better consistency of finish), their ease of working and the availability of stocks of sufficient quality.
Until the early 20th Century it was possible to buy these slow grown timbers as 1st, 2nd or 3rd quality. However, the fact of their slow growth and the subsequent increasing demand for such timbers, combined with modern sustainability considerations, has meant that sufficient stocks of commercially viable timber from these sources are not available for the manufacture of best quality architectural joinery.
As a result we have selected what we believe to be the best and most appropriate alternative, which is the North American hardwood, Tulipwood, otherwise known as American yellow poplar, which is light for a hardwood but also very strong with a straight grain and a fine texture which lends itself to producing detailed mouldings and finishes with a fine smooth surface. Academics have even suggested that had exacting Georgian craftsmen had access to Tulipwood (which did not become commercially available in Europe until the mid 1980’s), it would have been their material of choice. Tulipwood is also a sustainable choice, representing 20% of the standing hardwood timber in North America.
For unpainted finishes, other timbers can of course be employed, please contact us to discuss further.
All Atkey and Company joinery products are made from correctly seasoned timber with a moisture content of between 8 and 15 per cent.
