When it comes to contemporary limitations of in-demand species like African Mahogany, many people believe that lumber shortages are always caused by unsustainable forestry or a lack of natural resources. The Mahogany scarcity, like the Poplar crisis, is caused by factors within … [Read more...]

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 … [Read more...]

Decking installation is both a science and an art. Besides picking wood that is going to look attractive, you have to consider how well it’s going to hold up over time. One of the main factors to think about is wood shrinkage and expansion as it relates to deck board spacing (see … [Read more...]

Perhaps no other misconception about the lumber industry is as widespread - or as false. Perhaps it would be true, or might be true, in a hypothetical world where money grew on trees - except that money could only be accessible by damaging the trees from which the paper came to … [Read more...]

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 … [Read more...]

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 … [Read more...]