When it comes to the color of lumber, there are several different factors to consider (see Part 1). In this article, we’ll go into greater detail about how each of these variables will impact the color of your lumber. Hopefully, this information will help you make the wisest … [Read more...]
Tips & Tricks for Color Matching Lumber – Part One
Perhaps you’ve been dreaming of installing a deck with boards that are completely consistent in color. This would be the type of deck you’d see pictured in a high-end home magazine or featured in a home improvement store’s showroom floor. If that’s your ultimate goal, don’t be … [Read more...]
What Any Decking Lumber Needs Before it’s a Finished Product, Part 2
Once you realize what you’re up against (see Part 1), we hope you’re ready to take the steps necessary to convert your decking boards into a finished product. Grain-Related Issues As you work to transform your decking lumber into a finished product, one concern will be dealing … [Read more...]
What Any Decking Lumber Needs Before it’s a Finished Product, Part 1
Did you know that decking lumber isn’t actually a finished product? Sure, decking boards come to you planed on 4 faces and typically have sharp corners already eased (commonly abbreviated as S4S, E4E). If you’re using a clip system, your boards will also have a groove already … [Read more...]
Why Walnut’s Grading Scale Is More Liberal Than Its Counterparts
Now that you understand the distinctions between how Walnut is graded by the NHLA compared to other species (see Part 1), you’re probably wondering why Walnut gets off so easily. The answer is fairly simple: Basically, Walnut is different from most North American species, so it … [Read more...]
Comparing NHLA Guidelines for Walnut with That of Other Domestic Species
While all our domestic lumber species here at J Gibson McIlvain Lumber are graded according to NHLA (National Hardwood Lumber Association) guidelines, Walnut is, in some ways, in a league of its own. Many customers don’t understand the unique distinctions that set Walnut apart … [Read more...]
The Lacey Act and Lumber Legality, Part 2
Many people, even within the lumber industry, had not been too concerned about Lacey Act compliance until the infamous Gibson Guitar case. In 2011, the well known guitar maker’s Tennessee headquarters was raided, under the premise that its Madagascar ebony could have been … [Read more...]
The Lacey Act and Lumber Legality, Part 1
How the lumber impacts the environment is definitely an important issue. If you’re a builder or end-use lumber customer in the US, it should be increasingly important to you, too. Combined with CITES regulations, Lacey Act regulations in the US have made everyone in the supply … [Read more...]
Wide Plank Flooring Basics: Special Installation Notes
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 Basics: Getting the Right Boards
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...]
Can You Prevent Cracks in Large Timbers?
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...]
Understanding the Organic, Ever-Moving Nature of Wood
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...]
Climbing Walnut Prices, Part 2
As you begin to understand why Walnut is graded differently than other domestic species, you may wonder about how different the grading requirements really are and how to think about and order Walnut, as a result. Grading Specifications To compare typical FAS standards to the … [Read more...]
Climbing Walnut Prices, Part 1
It just doesn’t make sense that a domestic species like Walnut costs more than an exotic one like Mahogany, does it? While on the surface, it might not seem logical, there are many reasons American Walnut has dealt with increased prices along with a downgrade of grading as far as … [Read more...]
Understanding (& Accommodating) Teak Color Change
Just like all wood moves, all wood experiences color change. While we can’t change those facts, we can anticipate them and plan for them, realizing that certain species have certain tendencies. As a lumber species that undergoes color change to an unusual degree, Teak certainly … [Read more...]
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