Unlike hardwood grading, plywood grading falls short of indicating the actual quality of a sheet of plywood. In an attempt to find a simple way to help determine the quality of a sheet of plywood, many would like to reduce the entire issue to the number of plies. While we can … [Read more...]

The McIlvain lumber legacy certainly enhances our relatively recent dive into the unique branch of the lumber industry that is plywood. We made that leap in response to our customers’ frustration with the plywood market in general: the quest for quality plywood can be difficult. … [Read more...]

As Teak becomes more easily available, many new suppliers are entering the Teak market. While that scenario may seem like it can only be a positive thing, you need to exercise caution when choosing a supplier. At one point, Burmese Teak was available only from a select number of … [Read more...]

The rising prices, longer lead times, and decreasing availability of Spanish Cedar leave some builders no choice but to search out viable alternatives to this fabulous lumber species. If your application requires South American Spanish Cedar, you can expect to pay a premium for … [Read more...]

In previous articles (Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3), we’ve examined the benefits and potential problems associated with sourcing Spanish Cedar. Now we’ll get really practical and consider how you can determine whether Spanish Cedar is the right choice for your current job — and, … [Read more...]

As wonderful as Ipe is, there are plenty of reasons to consider alternative hardwood decking species. When Ipe shortages and climbing prices become issues, it’s always helpful to have alternative species to recommend to your customers. Jatoba may not be the most well-known … [Read more...]

While the popularity of some lumber species seems to be highly motivated by changes in style, the widespread appreciation of Ipe is a bit more understandable. The characteristics of this lumber species make it extremely resilient to the elements and impeccable in its longevity. … [Read more...]

More customers for high-quality Spanish Cedar could help create a stronger market for it, generating greater demand and leading to lower prices. In the meantime, though, there are difficulties involved in importing Spanish Cedar. Lower availability and rising prices combine with … [Read more...]

One of the major selling points of composite decking material is that it’s assumed by many people to be better for the environment than wood. However, there are some inconvenient facts that may cast some doubt on this widely-held opinion. In this last installment of a three-part … [Read more...]

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...]