Wood and timber testing

Our wood and timber testing services support due diligence required for various regulations, including:  European Union Deforestation Regulation, Illegal Logging Prohibition Regulation, United Kingdom Timber Regulation, United States Lacey Act. 

Source Certain collaborates with various stakeholders within the timber industry, including retailers, regulators, traders, auditors and certification bodies, providing essential tests to support wood identification and due diligence. Our state-of-the-art laboratory in Perth, Western Australia is strategically positioned to cater to the needs of the Australian timber industry and global businesses engaged with manufacturers in Asia.

Our wood and timber testing services

Explore our wood and timber testing services below. If you are unsure which service best suits you, talk to our friendly team, and we will help you. 

Wood Anatomy

Our Wood Anatomy service verifies the claimed species of wood.

Wood Anatomy is a scientific service that verifies the species claim of timber or wood products. We use advanced microscopy methods to deliver this service. Wood anatomy is recommended for forestry industry members who require a reliable, data-based due diligence solution to mitigate sourcing risk. Our trained wood anatomists can accurately identify most wood in trade using microscopic and macroscopic methods to genus (e.g. acacia, rubberwood, beech, pine, ash). Genus and generic names are commonly used in trade, making wood microscopy suitable for most trade verifications.

Wood anatomy is also known as wood identification, wood taxonomy and wood microscopy.

Suitable wood materials for Wood Anatomy: veneers, flooring, chips of at least 6mm in length, solid wood, furniture, wood biomass materials, plywood and laminated veneer lumber (LVL)*

* For LVL products, we recommend our Engineered Wood Analysis service, which comprehensively tests all layers of wood, whereas a standard Wood Anatomy test only analyses external layers.

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Wood Origin Verification

Our Wood Origin Verification service verifies the claimed origin of wood.

Origin verification is a scientific service that verifies the harvest origin claim of timber or wood products.

Stable Isotope Ratio Analysis (SIRA) and Trace Element Analysis (TEA) are critical components of our proprietary solution, TSW Trace®. Paired with expert interpretation methods they enable us to accurately verify origin claims. SIRA and TEA are trusted and robust analysis methods with over twenty years of development and publications supporting them.

Why is it important to verify the specific harvest origin of wood?

1. The process provides scientific proof that the product is consistent with its claimed origin. This, in turn, validates:
   • The integrity of certifications and ESG claims
   • Deforestation-free sourcing and supports deforestation-free supply chains.
   • Declared satellite imagery and GPS coordinates for the claimed harvest location.
2. Specific origin verification adds a layer of confirmation to traceability documentation efforts.
3. It enhances the data collection process to enable more robust reporting on timber sourcing.
   • Our data can support due diligence requirements and chain of custody records.
4. It provides confidence to investors and key stakeholders that robust traceability systems are in place to mitigate material risks linked to ESG risk, compliance and reporting.
5. It is an accurate tool for determining whether timber has been sourced from a region with known deforestation issues, sanctions, or tariffs.

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Engineered Wood Analysis

Our Engineered wood Analysis service verifies the claimed species and origin of all wood included in layered wood products.

Most commercially manufactured LVL and plywood originate from a select group of countries, some of which are currently subject to tariffs or sanctions. These geopolitical complexities make LVL products more susceptible to substitution and mislabelling making it important to identify wood type and origin to authenticate claims.

Source Certain’s solution for verifying the integrity of layered wood combines Wood Anatomy and Wood Origin Verification into one effective service. Each layer of wood undergoes Wood Anatomy and Wood Origin Verification to deliver an origin and species verification outcome.

This service ensures that imported LVL and plywood products meet the required national standards, especially for construction-grade products. To do so, it is important to verify that they are constructed from the claimed species of timber that originates from its claimed origin.

Suitable wood materials for Engineered wood analysis: layered wood products including plywood and laminated veneer lumber (LVL).

Talk to us about Engineered Wood Analysis