Sourcing and milling boards is definitely important, when it comes to wide plank flooring. However, even the most stable, carefully selected and milled boards can produce a sub-par wide plank floor if the installation is botched. Preparing for Long-Term Success Wood movement is … [Read more...]

Wide plank flooring is a hot commodity in the high-end remodeling and construction industry presently. Planks a foot or more wide are often needed in larger rooms in order to appear in proper proportion to the area — unless your room happens to be a bowling alley, that is! Of … [Read more...]

Theoretically, you could dry large timbers and use them in a way that prevents any cracks from occurring. You’d have to dry them in a vacuum kiln and use them indoors and away from direct sunlight. And avoid any jarring sounds or movements near them. And . . . you get the idea. … [Read more...]

Amid all the predictability and uniformity of our manufactured, well-planned society, we’re enjoying a renewed appreciation for the natural beauty and other qualities of organic materials like wood. At the same time, though, we can grow frustrated when those natural resources … [Read more...]

President of Taylor Guitars, Bob Taylor, used a YouTube video to make a surprising but strong statement about the North American penchant for buying only A Grade lumber: It’s unnecessary and wasteful. Why does his opinion matter? Well, it might not, except when we’re talking … [Read more...]

One of the key characteristics that sets J. Gibson McIlvain Lumber apart from the competition is our commitment to quality. Since we’re so passionate about this issue, we’re also passionate about helping our customers understand how grading systems work. In recent years, we’ve … [Read more...]

While plywood and moulding prices have basically remained the same, hardwood and softwood prices have continually climbed. Typically, a price change for raw materials translates into price changes for manufactured or engineered wood products also (even if there is a time lapse). … [Read more...]

J. Gibson McIlvain has a long, rich history of selling lumber to furniture makers. In fact, our relationship with them marks the start of the McIlvain lumber legacy, dating back over 200 years. While we’ve expanded into other markets, some aspects of our business, like our … [Read more...]

As we discussed in a previous post, issues relating to the ideal number of layers in plywood hail back to the glue. Glue issues, in turn, typically hinge more on the application than the glue itself, making consistency and quality control in the manufacturing process incredibly … [Read more...]

Wide plank flooring can definitely provide a striking look for high-end residential and commercial projects! In Part 1, we discussed how wide-plank flooring (especially the kind that’s made from extra-wide planks in widths over 8 inches) presents some unique challenges. From … [Read more...]

Wide plank flooring can certainly offer a striking addition to your next build! Particularly suited to large rooms in today’s high-end residential and commercial construction and remodeling industry, planks topping 12 inches in width are becoming increasingly popular. However, … [Read more...]

Hopefully, you’re convinced that buying imported lumber is actually beneficial for the environment and that thanks to CITES regulations, it’s become very difficult to illegally harvest and export lumber. But how can you be absolutely certain that the imported lumber that you … [Read more...]