Correct wood for flat building

[the kid]

I used to get a price list every few months from my supplier, prices of timber are like steel (or any metal to be honest) they change all the time

[ojc123]

Pick your own. The first time I built a substantial set our local supplier delivered elegantly curved timber. Since then I've gone to the yard and picked my own. The time saved dealing with the supplier and the reduction in frustration makes it a worthwhile effort.

[WiLL]

Depends on the size of the flat but I've found that if you want a single length of timber (and for flats it's 99% of the time spruce or pine of some description because of price and weight) that is actually straight as it goes beyond 8 feet then you need a good timber merchant. My local Travis perkins for example store all their softwood timber on end. As a consequence of this it is nigh on impossible to get a straight length from them. Good timber merchants store their timber lying on their side where they won't warp from their own weight. All timber should be unwrapped from any horrible plastic or ties (as you will find in DIY stores) as this can cause deformation as well, and stored in stacks with ventilation gaps around the wood (quite often a few battens every 2 dozen planks or so to seperate the stack and allow it to dry evenly and prevent a build up of rot or damp). And +1 for a place which allows you to pick your own planks from the stack to ensure you get what you need, which is a straight piece, check it by lying it on edge on the ground on each side to check for warping or dishing across the plank, also avoid one with any visible splits or too many knots. A good timber yard will accept this as perfectly acceptable behaviour, and a good timber yard is worth it's weight in gold.