An exploration of opportunities for using home-grown and reclaimed timber products – including joinery, insulation and sawn wood – in the retrofit, repairs, maintenance and improvement (RRMI) of social housing in Wales.
Summary
Retrofit, repairs, maintenance and improvement (RRMI) represent a massive and growing market, with significant investment planned in Wales to upgrade the ageing social housing stock to meet Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) targets and net zero goals.
While timber products such as wood fibre insulation, windows, doors and sawn timber already play a role in these works, the use of home-grown and reclaimed timber remains very limited. Most joinery and insulation products are imported or made from non-wood materials like uPVC, with contractors and builders’ merchants heavily influencing procurement decisions.
The report examines opportunities for using timber in insulation, windows, doors and other joinery, the barriers to wider adoption, the potential for Welsh manufacturers to use home-grown and reclaimed timber in products for the RRMI market and how current funding streams and procurement practices affect material choices. Key findings show strong potential for low-carbon, breathable timber solutions (especially wood fibre insulation), but systemic barriers currently prevent greater uptake.
The report concludes that unlocking this market will require coordinated policy support, better alignment of procurement with local supply, improved access to certification for biobased materials, and a cultural shift toward specifying healthier, lower-carbon timber products.
