‘Cement is the new toilet paper’ as materials shortage hits Harrogate

The operations manager at a local charity has said cement is the new toilet paper as he struggles with a building materials shortage.

With low supply due to problems importing goods into the UK and high demand due to lots of interest in home improvement projects, materials have jumped up in price.

Local suppliers have warned that if someone has priced up a job a few months ago then they should “rip it up.”

As building materials seem to be so difficult to find, it has made it more difficult for those who are in the middle of projects.

Local charity Horticap has just finished work on its Hopkins@Horticap cafe and is currently refurbishing an adjacent garden.

Phil Airey, operations manager at Horticap, told the Stray Ferret:

“For us it is like cement has taken over toilet paper as the hot ticket item of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have got the posts here ready to go into the ground but no cement to keep it in place.

“The cafe building is now complete but there’s still plenty of work to do at the garden, which we are trying to make more accessible.”

Andy Broadwith, sales director at GH Brooks.

Andy Broadwith, sales director at GH Brooks, also told the Stray Ferret that his company is currently 50% down on building materials into the yard:

“As the UK relies on building materials from abroad, when there is a problem with shipping we will see a shortage.

“With low supply and high demand, it has been horrific for cost.

“Let’s say a couple wants to do a two-storey extension, the average price of all of those building materials has gone up by 32%.

“I do not think it will last though. When people reassess how much the job will cost and see such an increase some will have to cancel.”

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Timber is one of those essential materials that has more than doubled in cost over the last year.

David Gibbs, a manager at Harrogate Timber Ltd, said:

“It really is unprecedented. We have never seen such a rise in price like this before.

“We really just cannot get the stuff in we need right now, it has been really hard work. Everyone seems to be wanting to do work on their homes right now.

“Costs are rising but people are still spending. They still want to do the work they planned.”