We’ve all heard the adage,”less is more.” Well, whether or not you think there’s truth to that statement, it’s definitely rare for more high-quality lumber to actually cost less. We’ve already looked at why that can be the case when it comes to thinner boards (see Parts 1 & … [Read more...]

In Part 1, we looked at why thicker boards can sometimes be more available than 4/4 boards, which the US lumber market considers standard thickness. But we haven’t yet gotten to the part we hinted at in the title — how bigger (or, really, thicker) can be cheaper. But don’t worry … [Read more...]

Buying short boards might be a great way to save your customers money and even secure higher-quality lumber than you thought your budget would allow. In addition to getting more for your money, though, you’ll also help reduce lumber waste. But as much as you had to think outside … [Read more...]

Do you recall studying fractions in elementary school? They were constantly subject to being reduced to mixed numbers and other things. Mrs. McGuffy insisted on it rigidly. Her deep red pen scribbles all over your arithmetic worksheet are still fresh in your thoughts as a … [Read more...]

In our last article, we started looking at some of the ways everyday people, either at the consumer or supplier end of the lumber industry, could help to keep our forestry practices sustainable both now and in the future. Not only does maintaining healthy forests help protect the … [Read more...]

Though the lumber industry has a checkered past marred by corruption and irresponsibility, valiant efforts have been made to better conserve our natural forestry resources for the future. So what should you, whether you’re a contractor, lumber dealer, or consumer, take away from … [Read more...]

In our first article in this series, we pointed out the fact that many people have an inaccurate picture of what goes on in today’s lumber industry. Their ideas are, understandably, negatively impacted by the harmful and unsustainable practices of past centuries. It’s important … [Read more...]

Those who work in the lumber industry often become used to facing uninformed questions or even unfair judgment from those outside the industry. In large part, these questions and condemnations come from those who assume that today’s current foreign and domestic lumber industry … [Read more...]

The first article of this three-part series explored some of the safety hazards associated with using composite decking materials to construct boardwalks. This next installment will explain some of the other structural problems with this type of material that could make it an … [Read more...]

When considering whether or not you need marine grade plywood for your next project, you’ll want to keep in mind the types of projects which people typically complete using this plywood grade (see Part 1). The first thing that would come to mind when you think of marine-grade … [Read more...]