Once you’ve determined your wide plank lumber species and size, it’s time to prepare those floor boards for installation. While these steps are similar to those you’d go through with any lumber, greater widths require extra care and consideration. Special Considerations for Milling Wide Plank … [Read more...]
How to Properly Space Decking Boards, Part 1
Whenever you receive an order for a deck installation, your customer probably has some pretty lofty expectations. Often, they’ll assume that you’re able to install a deck with little to no gap between the boards, and that once the deck is installed, the boards will stay in place exactly where you … [Read more...]
How To Ensure Lacey Act Compliance, Part 3
In addition to clarity from the European Union’s Timber Regulation (EUTR) and its inclusion of guidelines for a Due Diligence System (DDS), an additional document has provided clarification about what comprises “due diligence,” according to the Lacey Act. In response to the 2012 case brought to … [Read more...]
Understanding the Importance of Proper Lumber Drying, Part 2
J. Gibson McIlvain is a timber importer which sources lumber from all around the world. Each geographical area and individual lumber mills have their own distinct methods of operation when it comes to pre-drying their wood. While most imported timbers are dried to a moisture level of 12-15 percent … [Read more...]
The Secrets to Installing Wide Plank Flooring, Part 1
Wide plank flooring. It’s definitely in vogue for high-end construction and remodeling. And it’s gorgeous. But as attractive as wide plank flooring is, it’s equally difficult to achieve: sourcing, milling, and accounting for movement issues all combine to make installing wide-plank flooring more … [Read more...]
What Lumber Customers Need To Know: What’s With the Fractions? Pt 2
If you haven't already read about the lumber lore regarding the beginnings of fraction-based lumber thickness descriptions, you’ll want to first do that. Now regardless of how plausible you think that story is, at least you’re starting to understand what a fractional designation means for lumber. … [Read more...]
Problems with Ipe Decking
We at J. Gibson McIlvain, as a renowned wholesale lumber distributor, do our best to maintain enough of popular products like Ipe decking on hand. The traditional notions of supply and demand, on the other hand, have a significant impact on our price. We'd like to give you a quick rundown of the … [Read more...]
Old-Growth Strength in a Lumber Supplier
J. Gibson McIlvain continues to live up to its industry-wide reputation, but it owes its current prominence to its pre-Revolutionary War antecedents. The McIlvain family has owned and controlled one of America's finest lumber suppliers since before the country's States were even formed, let alone … [Read more...]
Lumber for LEED Points? Why It’s (Currently) a Losing Battle
There’s no doubt about it: lumber is really of the greenest building materials on the market. But don’t expect to get LEED points for just any lumber. In order for the Green Building Council’s program to award points for lumber though, it has to be FSC-certified lumber. Despite the fact that FSC … [Read more...]
Poor Forestry Management Isn’t the Cause for All Lumber Shortages, Part 1
Like most tall tales, there's a kernel of truth at the root of all lumber lore. That is absolutely the case in the event of lumber shortages: Overharvesting and other concerns related to unsustainable forestry management have historically been key contributors. Recent shortages in the African … [Read more...]
Guide to Domestic Hardwoods: Red Oak and White Oak
North American forests are home to more than 20 unique species, and J. Gibson McIlvain keeps an inventory of the 5 species that make up 75% of domestic hardwoods. Whether you’re looking for hardwoods for flooring, cabinetry, furniture, or millwork, we won’t be surprised if one of the top 5 species … [Read more...]
How To Ensure Lacey Act Compliance, Part 2
Clarification regarding “due diligence” for Lacey Act compliance for the U.S. lumber industry has come from an unlikely source: Europe! Because the European Union’s Timber Regulation (EUTR) includes specific guidelines for a compliant Due Diligence System (DDS), it can help inform those in the U.S. … [Read more...]
Understanding the Importance of Proper Lumber Drying, Part 1
As an organic material, wood is hygroscopic by nature. Imagine a bundle of straws, and you’ll have an understanding of the structure of lumber. The capillary action allows the wood to take in moisture, causing fibers to swell. The outcome is grain movement in the wood. Woodworking may be both … [Read more...]
Lumber Color, Demystified: Understanding the Basics
The unique and somewhat unpredictable nature of wood can seem frustrating, at times, but it’s also what makes it so beautiful and intriguing! When we approach wood color realistically, we can enjoy its natural coloring and learn how to accommodate it. Observing and Slowing Color Change We cannot … [Read more...]
How To Ensure Lacey Act Compliance, Part 1
Be aware that Lacey Act legislation applies to all lumber species, not just those protected by CITES. If the offending party is not in the U.S., the Lacey Act may be unable to hold them accountable; however, if you’re the first player in the U.S., you may be the one prosecuted. Lacey Act … [Read more...]
What Lumber Customers Need To Know: What’s With the Fractions? Pt 1
Remember learning all about fractions in elementary school? You always had to reduce them to mixed numbers and all of that. Mrs. McGuffy was a stickler about it. You can still remember her deep red pen markings all over your math page, reminding you. Well, forget it. All of it. When it comes to the … [Read more...]
