If you just want a small quantity of sandalwood for hobby purposes Trend Timbers in Sydney might be able to help. If you wanted a larger quantity, the Western Australian government's Forest Products Commission (FPC) has been active in managing the State's sandalwood industry. The FPC is responsible for commercial harvesting, marketing and developing the sandalwood industry in Western Australia. We suggest you contact the FPC for further information. You can phone the FPC on (08) 9729 2888, and you can download a brochure about WA sandalwood from www.fpc.wa.gov.au.

Tallowwood will give good service and has the advantage over some other hardwoods that it is free from gum veins. It is at the lower end of the scale with regard to leaching tannin. If the deck is flush with the pool it will probably be close to the ground. Decking is likely to cup if water can't drain away from underneath, because moisture rises from the ground and is absorbed into the underside of the timber. To prevent this, make sure the ground surface under the deck is well drained and the deck is ventilated by natural air flow. Regarding a natural looking low maintenance finish, clear finishes such as decking oil actually need regular re-coating. Decking oil will last longer if the deck is under cover, but when fully exposed to the weather it is likely to need re-coating after 12 months or less.

Plenty of veneer merchants stock rock maple, but your requirement is thicker than usual and that might make it difficult to source. Briggs in Sydney stock this thickness specially for skateboard manufacture, but we don't know of other suppliers. We can only suggest you try one of the major veneer merchants with a branch in your State, such as Amerind, Laminex, etc. For contact details, visit the Decorative Wood Veneers Association's website at www.woodveneer.asn.au.

Our understanding is that the group number could be applied to a similar configuration, eg. if 12mm western red cedar panelling is a Group 3 Material it would be reasonable to say that other flat panels of the same or greater thickness would also achieve Group 3 status. However, the material’s group number is an indication of its time to “flashover”, as predicted by the heat release rate when exposed to a standard heat source. Consequently if you were designing a screen made up of thin battens of western red cedar with spaces between, it would be likely to have a more rapid heat release rate than a 12mm thick flat panel. Other configurations are likely to have greater or lesser rates of heat release. So we can’t just say that western red cedar is a Group 3 material in all cases.

Selecting a finish can be confusing because there are advantages and disadvantages with each type. Generally speaking, film-forming coatings such as varnishes struggle in the Australian climate because of our high levels of UV. If you like the look of a varnish-type coating, select one that contains UV inhibitors and is microporous, such as the Sikkens range. Polyurethane coatings are generally to be avoided outdoors unless you are prepared for a high level of maintenance. Even microporous coatings need to be maintained before they start to break down, and in our view might not be a practical choice if your house has two-storeys with exposed timber on the upper level. Clear oils look nice in the short term but need re-coating after 6 to 12 months, depending on exposure, so they are not really practical for large areas of timber such as wall cladding, particularly on an upper storey. On the other hand, if the wall cladding and decking are protected by a verandah weather exposure is greatly reduced and clear oil finishes are then a practical option. They also have the advantage of not forming a skin over the timber, so when they start to break down they do not fail by peeling and little preparation is needed before re-coating. Although you ask about clear, natural finishes, we suggest you also consider lightly pigmented stain finishes such as the Cabot's Timbershades range. These products achieve a longer life between coats because the pigment content helps to counteract the effects of UV, and their colours are matched to the natural colours of various timbers.

The statement is based on information contained in a document prepared by the Bureau of Rural Resources (a part of the Commonwealth government) and submitted to the Resource Assessment Commission's Forest and Timber Enquiry: 

'There is no evidence that intensive harvesting has caused the loss of any plant species ... [Executive Summary paragraph 7]

'Vertebrate species ... are ... with few exceptions, widely distributed ... Therefore, for conservation of vertebrate fauna it is not necessary to conserve every forest stand. Any extinctions of forest-dwelling species have been associated with non-logging factors. ... [Executive Summary paragraph 8]

Provided appropriate environmental safeguards are implemented [eucalypt ecosystems] are able to recover from intensive harvesting and to re-develop their structural and floristic identity [Executive Summary paragraph 10]

The full citation for this reference is: Lacey, C. J., Davey, S. M. and Harries, E. D. 1990. Intensive harvesting of native eucalypt forests in the temperate regions of Australia: Environmental considerations for sustainable development. Submission to RAC Inquiry into Australia's Forest and Timber Resources, Bureau of Rural Resources, Canberra.

The results of the RAC enquiry support the statement - and can be found in Resource Assessment Commission 1992. Forest and Timber Inquiry Final Report Volume 2A, Appendix H, environmental impacts of forest use.

The Autralian Timber Database at www.timber.net.au advises that western red cedar is a Group 3 material in accordance with the BCA's Specification C1.10a. The Database is maintained by the Timber Development Association of NSW. For further information contact TDA on (02) 8424 3700.

Western red cedar is rated Class 2 outdoors above ground according to Australian Standard 5604, Timber - Natural durability ratings. The rating system is on a scale of 1 to 4, where Class 1 is the highest durability. Cedar is commonly used for roof shingles where it achieves a life of 20 to 30 years, but this is a more severe exposure hazard than wall cladding, which is vertically oriented and less inclined to trap water in lap joints. If left unfinished the surfaces exposed to the weather will bleach to a silver grey colour. However, protected areas (eg. under eaves) will not change colour to the same extent, which leaves the cladding looking patchy. Cabot's have a colour called "weathered cedar" in their range of exterior wood stains which achieves the aged look evenly while also giving the timber some protection against the elements.