Used production boards
Production boards are the wooden boards that concrete factories use to make paving blocks: the freshly pressed blocks are placed on them to cure. We buy used production boards from many factories, so the sizes, timber and price vary from batch to batch.
What is a production board?
A production board is a square deck of wooden planks held together by steel threaded rods that run right through the panel, with a nut tightened on each side. Both ends are reinforced across the full width with a steel U profile. The planks are joined with tongue and groove or pressed tightly together, and a board usually measures at least one square metre.
Spruce, larch or Azobe hardwood
Factories choose the timber by how long a board needs to last: spruce for short use, European larch for the medium term and tropical Azobe hardwood for the longest life. That choice also sets the price. A spruce board weighs around 20 kg, while an Azobe board easily weighs 65 kg and costs roughly three times as much. For most garden projects we recommend spruce or larch: lighter, cheaper and with the most attractive vintage look.
The weathered vintage look
Cement deposits, the heat of curing, friction against moulds and blocks and traces of release oil give every board its weathered character. Spruce and larch have a more open structure and take on that look more strongly than hardwood does.
What can you use them for?
- Outdoors: garden fencing, retaining walls and edging, garden walls and paths.
- Indoors: flooring, wall cladding, doors and table tops.
Can you cut production boards?
Yes, but take the steel out first. Undo the nuts, pull out the threaded rods and remove the U profiles at the ends, then saw the planks to the size you need.
Frequently asked questions
Are the boards new or used?
Always used. New production boards go straight to the concrete factories.
Why do sizes and prices vary?
Every factory orders boards in its own size, and the timber differs per batch. Ask us which batches are currently in stock.
